Saradha scam: CBI summons Kolkata top cop Rajeev Kumar; questioning tomorrow in Shillong

The CBI is relying on a 91-page letter from Ghosh, who was expelled by TMC, to the Enforcement Directorate, detailing the role of Kumar in handling the ponzi scam probe after the main accused Sudipta Sen and Debjani Mukherjee, both promoters of Saradha group of companies, had fled to Kashmir, officials said in Kolkata.

New Delhi: Days after being directed by Supreme Court to cooperate in Central Bureau of Investigation probe in Saradha Chit Fund Scam case; the probe agency has finally summoned Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar to appear before it on Saturday. As per reports, Kumar is set to be questioned in Shillong, which is a neutral place and away from the slugfest between centre and Kolkata police. The CBI wants to question Kumar, a 1989-batch IPS officer, as he was heading the SIT formed by West Bengal government to probe Saradha and other ponzi scheme cases, they said. The CBI is relying on a 91-page letter from Ghosh, who was expelled by TMC, to the Enforcement Directorate, detailing the role of Kumar in handling the ponzi scam probe after the main accused Sudipta Sen and Debjani Mukherjee, both promoters of Saradha group of companies, had fled to Kashmir, officials said in Kolkata. Sen and Mukherjee were arrested in 2013 from Kashmir. "State police was first to enter the premises of Saradha Group post collapse and there are allegations that important documents which could have provided important leads were removed to cause disappearance of evidence," a senior CBI official had said on the condition of anonymity. The agency may confront Ghosh and Kumar to cross check their claims, CBI sources said. "I got a telephone from the CBI asking me to be in Shillong on Sunday. I will be there and cooperate in every possible manner," Ghosh told PTI. Kumar's questioning on February 9 will happen in the shadow of the raid on Sunday evening on his Kolkata residence by CBI officials. The officials had to beat a hasty retreat from Kumar's residence after its officials were not only prevented by guards from entering the premises but were also detained by Kolkata police. The incident had triggered an unprecedented tussle between the West Bengal government and the Centre as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sat on a sit-in against the CBI move. On Monday, the agency rushed to the Supreme Court.