Kolkata Police chief reaches Shillong to face CBI questioning

Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar reached Shillong, Meghalaya's capital city, Friday to face questioning by the CBI for his alleged role in destroying evidence in the Saradha chit fund scam, an official said here.

Kumar will be interrogated by CBI sleuths at two locations -- in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) office here and at an undisclosed location, he said.

He is accompanied by three IPS officers of the Kolkata Police.

"Kumar has been lodged in a top hotel in the city. The state police is giving security cover to him," the senior Home Department official told PTI.

A group of CBI sleuths are coming from Delhi to question him and they are scheduled to reach here Friday night.

The Supreme Court Tuesday directed the Kolkata Police commissioner to appear before the CBI and "faithfully" cooperate into the investigation of cases arising out of the Saradha chit fund scam, while making it clear that he will not be arrested.

The CBI had alleged in the Supreme Court that Kumar, who was leading the SIT probe into Saradha chit fund scam, tampered with the electronic evidence and handed over documents to the agency some of which were "doctored".

The apex court directed him to appear before the investigating agency at a neutral place in Shillong "to avoid all unnecessary controversy".

The CBI officials had gone to Kumar's residence to question him on Sunday but their attempt was resisted by the Kolkata Police, following which Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee staged a dharna for three days "to save the Constitution".