West Bengal police ‘detains’ CBI team at Kolkata Police Commissioner’s house

A huge drama ensued when a team of CBI officials which had reached the house of Kolkata police commissioner Rajiv Kumar’s house was literally detained and taken away by the West Bengal police. The police have reportedly been taken to a police station.

News reports say that the Bidhannagar police force is now present at the entrance of the CBI’s regional office at CGO complex, Kolkata. And five CBI officers have been detained by the police.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Director General of Police, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakimhave have reached the residence of Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar and according to news reports they are holding a meeting.

Earlier, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had hit back following reports in the media that arrest of the Calcutta Police Commissioner was imminent. She tweeted that “The Kolkata Police Commissioner is among the best in the world. His integrity, bravery and honesty are unquestioned.”

She had also lashed out at the BJP and said, “The highest levels of the BJP leadership are doing the worst kind of political vendetta. Not only are political parties their targets, they are misusing power to take control of the police and destroy all institutions. We condemn this.”

Some media reports quoted unnamed CBI officials as saying that the Kolkata Police Commissioner had not been cooperating with the agency in its investigation of the Saradha chit fund case. Police Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, believed to enjoy the confidence of the West Bengal chief minister, had been summoned on several occasions for interrogation, these CBI sources claimed, but he had ignored the summons and had failed to turn up.

These reports also claimed that the Kolkata Police Commissioner was absconding and that his arrest was imminent. CBI accuses the senior IPS officer of obstructing justice and helping the accused and the suspects in the ‘Sarada’ case. Rajeev Kumar, had headed the special investigation team probing the Saradha and Rose Valley Ponzi scams. He was asked to help with the investigation when many important documents of the cases were allegedly found missing. Since then he has been called for questioning several times by the CBI.