Rajeev moves trial court for anticipatory BAIL; CBI files CAVEAT In Supreme Court

NEW DELHI/KOLKATA: Former Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar, who has been summoned by the CBI, in connection with the Saradha case, has approached a Special CBI court in Barasat, moving an anticipatory bail plea, which will be heard on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation has also filed a caveat in the Supreme Court of India, in anticipation of a plea from Kumar's side challenging the Calcutta High Court order that lifted his arrest shield.

The battle between CBI and Kumar has now once again reached the Apex court after it had in May this year said that Kumar should approach the High Court and trial courts for relief in the matter.

CBI officials had also visited Nabanna, the West Bengal State Secretariat earlier on Monday to deliver letters to the home secretary and chief secretary of the state, seeking the whereabouts of the former Kolkata top cop, who had not been seen since the High Court removed his protection from arrest on Friday.

The central agency had summoned Kumar to appear before its officials on Monday as well, even after Kumar had responded to their earlier summons asking for one month's time before joining the probe.

Moreover, on Sunday, the CBI also sent a letter to the West Bengal DGP, looking to find out more about Kumar's location, to which DGP Virendra had replied.

After the Calcutta High Court had lifted Kumar's protection from arrest on Friday, the CBI had on the same day visited his residence and summoned him to join the investigation.

Kumar had on Saturday itself responded to the central agency's summons asking for more time before being subjected to questioning.

The Supreme Court of India had granted Kumar protection from arrest in the case till May 24 this year, after which an Apex court bench asked him to approach the Calcutta High Court or the trial courts for relief.

Kumar, in a couple of days, immediately approached the Calcutta High Court, which protected him from CBI'S arrest till recently, when it dismissed his plea. The CBI has already questioned Kumar in connection with the case in Shillong earlier this year.

Kumar, who is currently the ADGP (CID) in West Bengal, has maintained that the allegations against him are a result of vendetta because he had spearheaded a probe against former CBI Interim-director Nageswar Rao's wife.

And while the CBI seems to be overeager in its pursuit of Kumar, other important lines of enquiry, such as the involvement of bureaucrats like Neeraj Singh (I-T) department and Manoj Kumar (ED) in the chit fund cases seem to be going cold.