CBI sets up team to trace the police officer

CBI sets up team to trace the police officer

CBI sets up team to trace the police officer

In a major setback to former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar, a special court in Basirhat on Tuesday issued a non-bailable warrant against him in connection with the Saradha ponzi scam case. The court order came on a petition filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation which is probing the high-profile case.

The CBI had moved the Basirhat court seeking NBW against Kumar after he failed to appear before the agency for questioning. The agency had given him notice to appear at 10 am on Tuesday.

The CBI has also set up a special team to trace Kumar.

Quoting highly places sources, the PTI reported that the probe agency is trying to locate Kumar and has even written to the West Bengal DGP and the chief secretary to instruct Kumar to appear before the investigation team.

Kumar did not appear for questioning twice in spite of CBI notices after the Kolkata High Court withdrew the protection given to him from the arrest on Friday.

The West Bengal DGP, in a letter on Monday, had told the CBI that its notices were sent to Kumar's official residence and his response is awaited, they said.

In the letter, the top cop had said that through his lawyer, Kumar had intimated him that he is on leave till September 25.

In another development on Tuesday, a special court in Barasat refused to grant anticipatory bail to Kumar, citing lack of jurisdiction. The special court, in charge of trial of criminal cases against MPs and MLAs, said it is a trial court and cannot hear an anticipatory bail application.

On September 13, the Calcutta High Court vacated its interim order granting the former Kolkata police commissioner protection from arrest in the Saradha chit-fund scam case.

The high court also rejected Kumar's prayer for quashing a CBI notice that sought his appearance for questioning in the case.

Kumar, who is currently the West Bengal CID Additional Director General, was part of a Special Investigation Team set up by the state government to investigate the scam, before the Supreme Court handed over the case to CBI in 2014, along with other chit-fund cases.

With inputs from PTI

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