Former Kolkata Commissioner of Police Rajiv Kumar could not be communicated as his mobile phone remained switched off. The mobile phone of his personal security officer was also traceless. The three top offices — Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and Director General of Police — of the Bengal Government had reportedly informed the Central Bureau of Investigation in response to a letter seeking his whereabouts.
The top offices, however, confirmed that the senior officer was on leave till September 25 and that the CBI’s letter had been sent to his residential address. Kumar had earlier sought month’s time from the CBI for appearance citing his wife’s illness for which he was on leave.
The noose around the senior IPS officer and presently the Additional Director General of CID tightened further with the CBI preparing to oppose any move by him seeking anticipatory bail from a CBI court in Kolkata.
The CBI had directed Kumar to appear before its officials on Friday within hours of his losing the judicial shield against arrest in Calcutta High Court. Kumar is being probed for his role as the chief of the Special Investigating Team former by the Mamata Banerjee Government in 2013 when the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam became public.
According to sources certain crucial evidences including a red diary, a pen drive, lap top and several CDs and other documents referred to be other accused and witnesses had gone missing after they were reportedly seized by the SIT in 2013.
The Supreme Court handed over the case to the CBI in 2014 following mass protest against the State police for insincere investigation and tampering of evidence.
The CBI had constantly been complaining of lack of cooperation by the State Police including Kumar who had repeatedly ignored its notice to appear before the Agency.