Shillong: The CBI began questioning Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar at its office in Shillong Saturday, over his alleged involvement in tampering with crucial evidence related to the multi-crore Saradha chit-fund scam during his term as the head of a team investigating it.
Kumar arrived at the highly-guarded CBI office in Oakland area around 10.45 am. His counsel Biswajit Deb had arrived shortly before, and senior IPS officers Javed Shamim and Murlidhar Sharma followed. However, they left the office 30 minutes after the meeting started, returning later in the afternoon.
When asked if the interrogation had commenced, Deb told mediapersons that it wasn’t correct to use that term. “It’s not an interrogation, he (Kumar) is not an accused, but a witness. He’s just sharing information,” he added.
The meeting between CBI representatives and Kumar, had been underway for over five hours at the time this report was published, with one break in between.
The agency is expected to question Kumar for at least a few more hours this evening, with the meeting likely to spill late into the night or even Sunday.
‘Neutral venue’
Earlier this week, the Supreme Court had chosen Shillong as a “neutral venue” for Kumar’s meeting with the CBI. The decision followed a high-voltage showdown in Kolkata last Sunday triggered by the visit of a CBI team to Kumar’s residence for questioning.
Kolkata Police had subsequently detained the CBI team, while West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a dharna, alleging that the Centre was using the CBI for political gains. Her government had earlier withdrawn the general consent every state grants the CBI, which falls under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, to pursue investigations on their turf.
Mamata called off her protest only after the Supreme Court directed that Kumar was not to be jailed.
However, the court also directed the Kolkata top cop to “faithfully” cooperate with the CBI investigation.
Also read: How Mamata Banerjee leveraged the CBI-police ruckus into a ‘political victory’
Heavy security
The CBI office here had a heavy security cover ahead of Saturday’s meeting, with at least five Meghalaya police commandos and two women officers of Shillong police stationed outside the gate. A gaggle of mediapersons also stood in wait for Kumar’s arrival.
While the CBI sent a 10-member team for the interrogation, Kumar was accompanied by Shamim and Sharma.
According to sources, confidential papers pertaining to the case were faxed to the office late afternoon.
The meeting took place a day after Kolkata Police raided two properties of Angela Mercantiles Pvt Ltd, a non-banking finance company with suspected ties to the wife of former interim CBI director M. Nageshwar Rao.
It was during Rao’s term, which ended this week, that the visit to Kumar’s home was ordered.
Also read: These are the 6 times when CBI & ED went after BJP’s rivals
The Print is officiating as a clarification agent for certain individuals rather than a print media.
It carries biased views , not an independent news printer.
CP Rajeev Kumar is a witness, not a suspect. Even for them, in white collar crimes that are based largely on documents, there is really no need for an arrest. So long as people make themselves available for interviews and there is no flight risk, much better to complete the investigation professionally and proceed to file the charge sheet.