CBI to quiz Kolkata Police chief Rajeev Kumar for second day on Sunday, top cop stresses on video recording

SHILLONG: After eight hours of questioning on Saturday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has called Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar back on Sunday for further probe in connection with the chit fund scam cases. The questioning is being held at the CBI office in Shillong after the Supreme Court had ordered that a 'neutral' place be selected for the interrogation.

The Kolkata Police chief was grilled for nearly eight hours on Saturday by a special team of 10 officers constituted by the CBI. Sources in the agency revealed that a 22-page questionnaire was prepared by the agency to question him. He has been asked to come for questioning again on Sunday to get more details on the investigation that was carried out by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Kumar.

As per sources, Kumar had insisted that the entire proceedings be recorded, leaving no scope for the agency to allege non-cooperation on his part. "He had always been cooperating with the agency. He insisted that the agency record the session so that no allegations surface against him that he did not cooperate. The agency had agreed to his request and the entire 8-hour session was video recorded," said an officer close to him. 

The CBI had claimed in the apex court that Kumar allegedly tampered crucial evidence in the Rose Valley and Saradha chit fund scam. In line with the order, the apex court had asked him to ‘cooperate’ with the officers of the CBI. 

Apart from the police chief, ex-TMC MP Kunal Ghosh will also be questioned by the CBI officers in Shillong on Sunday in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam.  

The Kolkata Police commissioner arrived in the capital city of Meghalaya on Friday along with his lawyer Biswajit Deb and two other IPS officers – deputy commissioner of Kolkata Police (Special Task Force) Murlidhar Sharma and Additional and Joint Commissioner of Kolkata Police (HQ) Jawed Shamim.