The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a fresh plea with the Supreme Court to arrest former commissioner of Kolkata Police Rajeev Kumar for interrogation in connection with the multi-crore Saradha Group ponzi scam. It has also appealed for the removal of the 'no coercive action' clause put by the apex court regarding his questioning.

A team of the CBI visited the London Street residence of Kumar on February 3 but was stopped by officials of Kolkata Police and later Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee too had put up a sit-in demonstration against what she called 'an attack on the constitution and the federal structure'. On February 5, SC ordered Kumar to appear before the CBI in Shillong but also said that no coercive action could be taken against him.

In its fresh plea, the CBI has alleged that while Kumar was examined between February 9 to 13, he "gave evasive replies and did not reveal complete facts with regard to the acts of commission and omission to the Special Investigation Team (SIT). This resulted in them not having all documents/material, despite having asked for the same."

It was alleged that Kumar, who headed the SIT probing the chit fund scam, had tampered with the evidence.

The plea also said that Sudipta Sen, the main accused and promoter of Saradha Group of Companies, had written a detailed letter to the CBI, levelling serious allegations against many influential persons. The letter was forwarded to Kumar at that time and during his examination at Shillong, he conceded that the letter had been received by his office. However, Kumar could not explain why the material facts of the letter were not investigated by Bidha Nagar Police or the SIT. It has also been alleged in the plea that Kumar did not answer satisfactorily on why the money trail of about Rs 2,450 crore collected by Saradha Group was not investigated, which could have revealed the involvement of many influential persons.

CBI also said in its plea that after Sen and Debjani Mukherjee, executive director of Saradha Group, were arrested, five mobile phones and a laptop were seized from them but later, the laptop and two mobile phones were returned without any forensic examination. Kumar, during examination by the CBI, had said that he did not remember ordering that the devices be returned.

Among more serious charges against Kumar, it has also been alleged that the Call Data Records (CDRs) for 2012-13 by the mobile phone service provider disclosed names of many influential persons but the SIT did not investigate roles of most of them.

The Plea

In its fresh plea, the CBI has alleged that while Kumar was examined between February 9 to 13, he “gave evasive replies and did not reveal complete facts with regard to the acts of commission and omission to the Special Investigation Team (SIT). This resulted in them not having all documents/material, despite having asked for the same.”