Saradha chit fund scam: Court rejects Rajeev Kumar's anticipatory bail plea

Alipore Court on Saturday rejected former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar's anticipatory bail plea. The IPS officer had moved the petition a day after the court stated that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has right to arrest him in the Saradha Chit fund scam case.

"The anticipatory bail petition has been rejected by the court. We are awaiting the court's order to know the full details," stated a junior advocate representing CBI.

Earlier today, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had informed the local court here that IPS officer Rajeev Kumar's phone is switched off and he is not responding to his e-mails.

Additional District Judge (ADJ) Sujoy Sengupta of the Alipore Judges Court was hearing the anticipatory bail petition moved by Kumar, who is presently posted as Additional Director of the Crime Investigation Department (CID).

During the course of proceedings, the CBI contended that Kumar violated the order of the Calcutta High Court as he was directed to stay at home, but now his whereabouts are not known.

The Director-General of Police, too, asserted the same and added that he did not cooperate with the CBI and appeared before it only when he was given protection from the arrest.

The Calcutta High Court had last week withdrawn protection from the arrest granted to Kumar in Saradha chit fund scam case. Following this, the agency had summoned him for questioning several times but he failed to appear before it.

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

The Saradha Group of companies had allegedly duped scores of people to the tune of Rs 2,500 crore promising higher rates of return on their investments.