CBI empowered to arrest Rajeev Kumar in Saradha scam case, rules court

A court here on Thursday ruled the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is empowered to arrest former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in the Saradha chit fund scam case.

Hearing an application filed by Kumar, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Subrata Mukherjee said the investigating agency has the right to arrest him.

The court, however, turned down the CBI's plea for the issuance of a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against Kumar.

ACJM Mukherjee directed the CBI to approach the court if its officers are manhandled during an arrest bid.

Earlier today, the court in Alipore had reserved its orders on petitions of Kumar and the CBI.

Kumar, in his plea, argued that the CBI requires the West Bengal government's nod to arrest him as he is a government official.

On Tuesday, a district session court had disposed of Kumar's bail plea.

Kumar is accused of tampering with evidence in Saradha scam case. He was a part of the SIT constituted by the state government to probe the scam before the Supreme Court transferred it to the CBI.

Meanwhile, the CBI has issued another summons against Kumar, asking him to join the investigation in the case. Earlier, summonses of the CBI failed to make Kumar appear before it, forcing the agency to move to the court for an NBW.

The Calcutta High Court had last week withdrawn protection from arrest granted to the former Kolkata Commissioner in the case.