Saradha scam: Former Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar deposes before CBI

Former commissioner of Kolkata Police Rajeev Kumar Friday appeared before the CBI in connection with the multi-crore Saradha scam, that left thousands of small investors in the lurch. Kumar, who is presently the additional director general of police in the CID, reached the CBI office in the morning to face questioning by the agency officials for the second time, sources in the agency said. In February, Kumar had been interrogated by CBI officials in Shillong under directions of the Supreme Court which had asked him to cooperate with the probing agency. The senior police officer was heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of West Bengal Police before the Central Bureau of Investigation took over the case. The premier investigative agency had last month issued a lookout notice against Kumar and directed all airports and immigration authorities to alert it if they spot him leaving the country. Kumar, who recently moved the Calcutta High Court seeking quashing of the CBI notice against him, was granted protection from coercive action till July 10 but was asked to cooperate with the agency in investigation into the case. In April, the CBI had told the Supreme Court that Kumars custodial interrogation was necessary as he was not cooperating in the probe and was evasive and arrogant in answering the queries put to him during questioning.