A day after Additional Director General of Crime Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal Police and former Kolkata Commissioner of Police Rajeev Kumar failed to appear for questioning in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam, the CBI on Tuesday sent a fresh summons to the IPS officer, sources said.
Through the first CBI summons, Kumar was asked to appear before the agency’s office in Kolkata on Monday but Kumar sent a letter stating he was on a leave for three days and had sought a week’s time to be available for questioning in the case.
This is the second summons to Kumar after the Supreme Court lifted the protection granted to him from coercive action by the CBI earlier this month.
Meanwhile, the agency is likely to approach a relevant court for issuance of an arrest warrant against him if he continues to evade summons. The other option being considered is to get him declared an absconder, sources said, adding he has been evasive during questioning and has not responded to the agency’s offer to turn an approver in the case.
On Saturday, the CBI had also issued a Lookout Notice against Kumar to prevent him from leaving the country.
The CBI is seeking custodial interrogation of Kumar in connection with the scam as his role as the police’s special investigation team to probe the Saradha case was under cloud. The CBI later took over the probe into the scam at the behest of the Supreme Court.
The CBI has also been on record before the apex court saying Kumar was “evasive” and “arrogant” in answering the queries put to him during questioning and his custodial interrogation was required.
On May 17, the apex court withdrew protection to Kumar from arrest and asked the CBI to proceed as per law.
The SC gave a week’s time to Kumar to approach the competent court for anticipatory bail but the subordinate court refused to grant him relief.
The Saradha group of companies are alleged to have duped lakhs of gullible customers through various illegal ponzi schemes promising higher rates of return on their investments.