Justice Rao recuses from hearing CBI plea

SARADHA CHIT FUND SCAM

NEW DELHI: A Supreme Court judge on Wednesday recused himself from hearing a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) plea seeking contempt action against former Kolkata police commissioner, Rajeev Kumar, for allegedly obstructing the probe into the Saradha chit fund scam.

The CBI had moved the court on February 3 after the state police detained CBI officials when they had gone to Kumar’s house for questioning him in connection with the scam. The state police have maintained that the CBI officials allegedly tried to forcefully enter Kumar’s residence without valid papers. Justice L N Rao, who was a part of a three-member Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi-led bench, said he would not like to hear the matter since he has appeared for the West Bengal government in the past.

The recusal forced the court to defer the hearing into the plea. It came even as both sides clarified they had no problem in Rao hearing the case. The court posted the matter for hearing on February 27. Attorney general K K Venugopal referred to an affidavit the state government and its police officers have filed in the case and slammed them for filing “a tissue of lies”.

The court permitted the West Bengal government to rebut the allegations of tampering of evidence the CBI made in an additional affidavit on Monday.

The CBI has listed instances to illustrate how Kumar allegedly refused to share evidence collected when he led a state police special investigation team that probed the Saradha scam earlier. West Bengal chief secretary Malay Kumar De, police chief Virendra Kumar and Kumar filed separate affidavits before the Supreme Court on Monday. They denied having violated any court order issued in connection with the scam.

The three offered an “unconditional” apology in connection with the contempt proceedings. They refuted allegations of having obstructed investigation into the case.