CBI seeks Bengal police info on Kumar location

KOLKATA: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday sent a letter to West Bengal police chief Virendra, seeking former Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar’s whereabouts, according to people aware of the development.

A CBI team on Saturday did not find Kumar at his official residence a day after the Calcutta high court withdrew its order giving him protection from arrest and said the agency could summon him for questioning. Kumar is learnt to have sent an e-mail to the agency on Saturday, saying he is on leave and hence cannot respond to the summons in connection with the Sharadha chit fund case. The Saradha Group ran an unlicensed fund, which went bust in 2013 and wiped out deposits from around 1.8 million, mostly poor, depositors. Ruling Trinamool Congress leaders have been jailed and questioned for their alleged involvement in an estimated ₹2,460 crore scam.

The people cited above said two CBI officers visited the state secretariat with separate letters addressed to the West Bengal police chief, chief secretary and home secretary. Security personnel at the secretariat only accepted the letter meant for the police chief since his control room is operational around the clock. They asked the CBI officers to return on Monday with the letters meant for the home secretary and the chief secretary as the secretariate was closed on Sunday. An official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the agency has requested the government to either produce Kumar for questioning or provide information about his whereabouts.

Kumar was summoned to the CBI office on Saturday. The agency said Kumar ignored the summons and also switched off his phone.