Rajeev Kumar had been appointed the additional director general of police and inspector general of police in the CID on February 19. (Express archive photo)Former Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar, who has been in the centre of a controversy in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam case, was given additional charge of the state directorate of economic offences and the special task force (STF) of Kolkata by the state government. Kumar, who completed his tenure as the city police commissioner last month, is now serving as the state CID chief and he would hold additional charge of the two departments until further orders, PTI reported.
The order was issued by the state home department late Friday evening. On February 19, Kumar had been appointed the additional director general of police and inspector general of police in the CID.
Kumar, a 1989-batch IPS officer, was made Kolkata police commissioner in May 2016. He got embroiled in a controversy for allegedly not cooperating with the CBI in its investigations into the Saradha Chit fund and Rose Valley scams. The CBI had moved the Supreme Court after its officials were thwarted by the Kolkata Police when they had gone to Kumar’s official residence to question him on February 3.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had rushed to the spot and staged a three-day ‘Save the Constitution’ sit-in against the CBI’s move, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah of plotting a “coup”.
The Supreme Court, had on February 5, directed Kumar to appear before the central investigative agency in connection with the matter. It had also said that no coercive step should be taken against Kumar. He was then questioned by the CBI in Shillong for five days.
Earlier this week, on Wednesday the apex court directed the CBI Director to file an affidavit giving details about the alleged contempt committed by West Bengal police and the then Kolkata Police chief in connection with Saradha chit fund scam cases.
