CBI summons Rajeev Kumar again, in-camera hearing of anticipatory bail plea today

Kolkata, Sep 26: The special crime branch of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has once again summoned former Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar to appear before it on Thursday in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam case.

"We have asked him to appear before the CBI office here tomorrow," a senior CBI official said on Wednesday.

The central agency has given multiple notices to Kumar, who is currently the Additional Director General in the West Bengal Crime Investigation Department, to appear before it for questioning as a witness in the multi-crore scam.

Meanwhile, Kumar's anticipatory bail prayer in the Saradha case was heard 'in-camera' by the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday, on a plea by his counsel.

The former Kolkata police commissioner's consul Debasish Roy moved an HC division bench of Justice Sahidullah Munshi and Justice Subhasis Dasgupta and pleaded for in-camera proceedings. The HC granted his plea.

Consul Roy didn't conclude his arguments on Wednesday and will resume it today. This will be followed by the counter-arguments by CBI lawyer Y J Dastoor.

A division bench, comprising justices S Munshi and S Dasgupta, heard the submissions by Kumar's lawyer in support of his pre-arrest bail prayer in the presence of only those advocates who are related to the case.

The matter is likely to hear again by the bench today.

However, Kumar did not appear before the CBI and has sought more time on every occasion.

The CBI has summoned Kumar yet again at the CGO complex today in connection with the Rose Valley probe and said that they are not willing to give him any more extension.

A CBI officer said, "Four notices under Section 160 CrPC have been issued from September 13 to 24 and he replied only to the first one, seeking some time. He has not responded to any of the other notices. It is evident that he is not cooperating with us."

The Saradha group of companies allegedly duped lakhs of people to the tune of Rs 2,500 crore, promising higher rates of return on their investments.

On Kumar being on "leave", the CBI official said there is "no co-relation between responding to our summons or skipping it, whether he is on leave or not".

The CBI has also summoned Kumar for his alleged role in the multi-crore Rose Valley Ponzi scheme case.