Saradha chit fund scam: Ex-Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar files anticipatory bail

KOLKATA: The counsel of former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar, summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam, filed an anticipatory bail petition at Barasat District and Sessions Judges Court. The hearing in the matter began at noon and is currently underway.

Opposing the plea, CBI has moved a non-bailable warrant against Kumar. A team of officers from the probe agency including the Investigative Officer Tathagata Vardhan are likely to visit the court. 

Meanwhile, the former Kolkata top cop missed the CBI summons for second consecutive day on Monday. The probe agency had served letters to the West Bengal government’s Chief Secretary and Home Secretary, and the state Director General of Police asking Kumar to appear before them. The DGP responded to the letter stating that the summon was sent to Kumar’s residence on 34 Park Street in Kolkata.

Sources in the West Bengal Secretariat told Zee News that Kumar is on a personal leave for 15 days. 

“The state has responded to the letters sent by CBI. They have been informed that the summons have been sent to Kumar’s residence. The investigating agency has also been informed that Kumar is on a personal leave for 15 days. He went on leave on September 9 and it sends on September 25, 2019.” 

On the other hand, Joint Director of CBI Kolkata unit reached the probe agency's office in Salt Lake's CGO Complex and held back to back meetings discussing the next course of action against Kumar.

The Saradha Chit Fund Scam, running into billions of rupees, came to the limelight after the Saradha group`s companies shut shops duping lakhs of people promising higher rates of returns on their investments.