Rishi Kumar Shukla takes charge of CBI as director

Newly-appointed CBI chief Rishi Kumar Shukla took charge of the agency Monday, when it finds itself locked in a dirty turf war with the Kolkata Police that spiralled into a political slugfest between the Centre and the West Bengal government.

Normally, a new incumbent gets a week's time to take charge, but Shukla, who was appointed on Saturday, took the reins of the agency within two days in the backdrop of the agency's tussle with the Kolkata Police which broke out on Sunday, officials said.

The appointment of the 58-year old Shukla, a 1983-batch IPS from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, as full-fledged director is likely to bring some sort of order within the CBI which has moved the Supreme Court alleging destruction of evidence by Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in ponzi scam cases, they said.

Kumar headed the special investigation team probing these cases, the officials said.

The agency did not get any immediate relief from the Supreme Court in the matter.

The Supreme Court, however, agreed to give an urgent hearing on Tuesday to applications moved by the CBI alleging destruction of electronic evidence related to the Saradha chit fund scam case by the Kolkata Police commissioner.

The applications accusing Kumar of destroying evidence related to the case and him of indulging in contempt of court was mentioned by Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta before a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjeev Khanna.

Taking note of his submissions the bench said, "If at all the evidence is destroyed, it is in electronic form and can be retrieved."