On Sunday night, in unruly scenes, the West Bengal government apparently ordered the Kolkata police to block the central investigators. Accordingly, the state police stopped the vehicle carrying the CBI officers and prevented them from doing their duty as ordered by the Supreme Court. They were bundled into police vehicles and led to the police station.
On Monday (04/02/2019), The CBI appealed to the Supreme Court to direct Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar to cooperate with the CBI investigators.
The apex court has permitted the CBI to bring material on record to support its claim that WB Police were involved in destroying records. The Supreme Court posted the hearing for Tuesday.
In the aftermath of the Saradha and Rose Valley scandals running deep, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted a raid at the residence of Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar. Rajeev apparently had the backing of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who said “Rajeev was the best police officer in the world”.
Along with the accused in the Saradha financial scandal (about 200 to 300 billion rupees) and Rose Valley scandal (about 15,000 crore rupees), Rajeev is facing the heat for being part of the West Bengal police decision to destroy documents relating to the scandals. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders have been the alleged beneficiaries of the scandal. In 2014, the Supreme Court, finding out that the scandal was too deep, directed the CBI to take over the investigation.
The incident in Kolkata last night brought the attention of the Lok Sabha. Union home minister Rajnath Singh said in the Lower House that the CBI was following the directions of the Supreme Court. The police commissioner was asked to appear for investigation, but he did not. Rajnath Singh also informed the Lok Sabha that West Bengal governor Keshari Nath Tripathi has summoned the chief secretary and director general of police and told them to take at their earliest and resolve the situation. Rajnath Singh also informed that the Supreme Court, in its earlier order about the Sarada Chit Fund Case, said that the CBI investigation had unearthed the involvement of many politicians and influential persons.
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