CBI Interim Chief M Nageswara Rao has said that the agency will be approaching the Supreme Court on Monday, 4 January, after he found the West Bengal police not cooperating with the former in their questioning of Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar as part of their probe into the Saradha and Rose Valley Scams, ANI reported.
Rao’s statement comes soon after the late-night drama which unfolded in Kolkata on Sunday, 3 February- after a group of CBI officials turned up outside Kumar’s house to question him about matter related to their investigations into the infamous Saradha and Rose Valley chit-fund scams, news of which surfaced in 2013. Kumar was reportedly heading the SIT into the two scams, before it was transferred to the CBI in 2014.
Rao had earlier claimed there was evidence against Kumar and that the he had been “instrumental in causing destruction of this evidence and obstructing justice". CM Mamata Banerjee had meanwhile, announced a 'Save the Constitution' dharna, to protest against what she called an attack from the BJP.
The CBI has reportedly accused the Mamata Banerjee led-government of impeding their investigation into the two scams and is expected to demand action against the state government and police, NDTV, quoting sources, stated.
“The CBI will tell the top court that detention and harassment of its officers carrying out the probe is indicative of the state government’s scant regard to the rule of law.”Sources told NDTV
Lashing out at the state government, Rao defended the CBI’s action by reportedly asking- “Did we commit any crime”, the NDTV report added.
Adding to this, in a separate interview to ANI, Rao said:
CBI is working as per directions of Supreme Court, no state government has the power to obstruct or detain them. It’s unconstitutional and undemocratic. We hope Supreme Court gives a direction to West Bengal government, keeping this incident in view. Otherwise no agency will be able to work in this country.
Rao had also accused Banerjee of acting like a “dictator” to protect the “corrupt” in her state, by not allowing the CBI to continue their investigations into the two scams. “She is shredding apart the constitution. We condemn this,” Rao told ANI.
(With inputs from ANI and NDTV)
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