The Supreme Court on Friday, 24 May, dismissed former Kolkata Police Commissioner, Rajeev Kumar’s plea seeking extended protection from arrest in relation to the Saradha chit fund scam case.
Kumar was earlier granted protection from arrest by the apex court for seven days which ends on 24 May.
The vacation bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra said Kumar can approach the Calcutta High Court or the relevant trial court to seek relief including anticipatory bail.
The public prosecutor Sushovan Mitra told ANI Kumar’s lawyers submitted a faulty application for anticipatory bail at lower court in Barasat around 4 pm which was turned down. Subsequent documents were said to be missing, being the reason why his application was rejected, according to Mitra.
The CBI have accused Kumar of facilitating illegal operations of the Saradha Group, and being complicit as its chit fund collected Rs 805.77 crore while he was the Bidhan Nagar Commissioner in 2012-13.
On 3 February, while he was still the Police Commissioner of Kolkata, a team of CBI officers was stopped from entering his residence, when they had gone to question him in connection with the scam cases.
The move had led to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launching a dharna in the heart of the city, protesting against “the attack on constitutional norms” and his “unlawful arrest.”
When the matter reached the SC's doorsteps, the apex court had directed Kumar to appear before the central investigative agency in connection with the matter at a neutral venue, Shillong. After he met with the CBI officers there, they wanted custody since they were unsatisfied with his answers.
As a result, they approached the SC again, as it had granted Kumar protection from arrest. After several hearings, the court withdrew Kumar’s protection though it clarified that this was not a direction to the CBI to arrest Kumar, and the investigating agency would have to follow all norms when proceeding further.
Kumar had claimed he was unable to approach the courts in Kolkata till now because of ongoing strikes by lawyers. The vacation bench had heard a bail plea by BJP youth wing leader Priyanka Sharma last week for this reason after she was arrested for sharing a meme of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
However, on Friday, the court rejected this argument, saying the courts were still functioning and hearing litigants. Kumar will now be expected to approach the Calcutta High Court or the trial court.
(With PTI inputs)
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