Kolkata Police chief Rajeev Kumar destroyed evidence, says interim CBI director Nageshwar Rao

Interim CBI director M Nageshwar Rao on Sunday said the agency's officials had gone to Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar's residence to interrogate him as there was "evidence" that he was instrumental in causing destruction of evidence in the chit fund scam. He said the CBI is investigating the chit-fund cases as per the direction of the Supreme Court.

Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar at out side his residence, after CBI offcials were detained by Kolkata police those came to questioning him in connection with the Saradha ponzi scam. Photo: PTI

NEW DELHI: Interim CBI director M Nageshwar Rao on Sunday said the agency's officials had gone to Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar's residence to interrogate him as there was "evidence" that he was instrumental in causing destruction of evidence in the chit fund scam. He said the CBI is investigating the chit-fund cases as per the direction of the Supreme Court. "A SIT was constituted by the West Bengal government prior to the orders of the Supreme Court under the chairmanship of Rajeev Kumar, who is now Commissioner of Police Kolkata. They (police) have taken charge of the evidence and have seized the documents and compact discs. They are not cooperating with us in handing over the seized documents," Rao told ANI. Several orders were sent to Kumar seeking the evidence in the case but the Kolkata police commissioner did not cooperate, he added. "Our notices have gone on deaf years. The state police is not cooperating, they are trying to harass the CBI officials by various means. This was brought to the notice of the Supreme Court, which advised the state authority to cooperate. In the meantime whatever investigation we could do. There is evidence against him (Rajeev Kumar), he has been instrumental in causing destruction of evidence and obstructing justice. "Since he has not been cooperative, we decided to visit him and interrogate him, following which we could have taken the next step. But our people were detained and then arrested. I don't know what crime have they committed? and under what law were they arrested by the police. We also fear that the police and the locals who have surrounded our offices in the state might hamper the evidence," ANI quoted Rao as saying. The CBI move took an unprecedented turn after the team was stopped from entering the house and a number of agency officers were bundled into police jeeps, whisked to a police station and detained. Soon after West Bengal Chief Minister landed at Kumar's residence and fired salvo at the Centre, alleging political vindictiveness. In a tit-for-tat move, a team of Kolkata Police officials reached the CGO Complex -- the state headquarters of CBI. Later on, a small team of CBI officials was taken to Shakespeare Sarani police station for further discussions. Thereafter, more men arrived at the spot and a commotion ensued. Some CBI officers were then forcibly bundled into police jeeps, taken to a police station. As politics played out on the street, the chief minister, who rushed to the residence of Kumar, said, "Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are trying to organise a coup in the state as we had organised the opposition rally on January 19. We were aware that the CBI will attack us after we organised the rally." She was referring to the Brigade rally attended by leaders of about 20 opposition parties.