Kolkata top cop Rajeev Kumar grilled for eight hours, to be further questioned tomorrow

According to sources, Rajeev Kumar’s legal advisor today requested the CBI that he wants to be present during his interrogation. The lawyer also requested the CBI as Saraswati Puja will begin now and from February 12 board exams will also begin so commissioner won’t be able to stay in Shillong for long. However CBI has not yet replied.

Questioning began at 11 am. 

UPDATES:  

Some evidence against Rajiv Kumar which CBI is going to place before Supreme Court:

1. The state did not hand over the mobile phones and laptops to CBI which were seized during arrest of Sudipta Sen, Debjani till now which CBI had asked for several times. Those electronic evidence were also not sent for forensic exam.

2. CBI is going to allege that the CDR of Sudipta and Debjani were manipulated by Rajeev Kumar, the original CDR is different from the manipulated CDR. The CDR were also not handed over to CBI which was seized by the state. Related 164 and documented evidence is there in regard to this.

3. More than 50 important phone calls before arrest of Sudipta Sen from influentials were manipulated from actual CDR to save some influentials. Documented evidence is there.

4. Kunal Ghosh had given 14 statements to Rajeev Kumar and Arnab Ghosh after and before arrest which were asked to handed over to CBI several times but state did not do that to save influentials people.

5. DBR (daily business records) in pen drives where cash transactions were recorded were also seized from witnesses by state police but most of them were not mentioned in official seizure list according to number of 164 given by witnesses. Cash transactions made to influentials were listed in a Supdita Sen's personal diary is also missing.

6. Vital witnesses were pressured to suppress facts while giving statement to state police. 164s are there for that. Same in the case of accused regarding police statements.

7. Rajeev Kumar was summoned thrice to answer these queries, replied only once. CBI even wrote letter to DG to send Kumar but he avoided them which indicated complete non cooperation and avoiding CBI interrogations.

8. He even disrupted central agencies while he went on official work to seize some documents from bank lockers.

9. Not only Saradha but also in other chitfunds similar things happened of suppressing fact.

(Reported by Vikram Das)

Meghalaya: Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar arrives at the CBI office in Shillong. He will be questioned here today in connection with Saradha chit fund scam. pic.twitter.com/rT3naYZz6E

— ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2019

Meghalaya: CBI team from Delhi arrives at the CBI office in Shillong. Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar will be questioned here today in connection with Saradha chit fund scam. pic.twitter.com/Lz8tYXyyhw

— ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2019

CBI will question Kolkata police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar at its Shillong office on Saturday. 

Meghalaya: Visuals from outside the CBI office in Shillong. Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar will be questioned here today. pic.twitter.com/ThYa3iRTa2

— ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2019

A group of CBI sleuths from Delhi reached Shillong Friday night. The CBI had alleged in the Supreme Court that Kumar, who was leading the SIT probe into Saradha chit fund scam, tampered with the electronic evidence and handed over documents to the agency some of which were "doctored".

Sources said the CBI, in its affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court, alleged that Kumar had destroyed and tampered with call data records of one of the main accused. Although Kumar had earlier denied this allegation, CBI sources said that they have procured evidence to prove it. They added that it would be used to question Kumar on Saturday.

The CBI has constituted a ten-member team for investigation into the case. The team reached Kolkata on Friday morning and held marathon meetings where officials from Lucknow, New Delhi and Bhopal were briefed about the case. The investigation will be led by Joint Director for Eastern Region Pankaj Srivastava.

CBI officers have readied a set of questions for Kumar and had documentary evidences to back certain allegations made against Kumar.

After Kumar failed to appear at the CBI office ignoring several summons, CBI officials had gone to Kumar's Loudon Street residence on Febraury 3 to question him but Kolkata Police officials not only barred them from entering the residence but also shoved them into police vehicles and took them to the police station where they were detained for sometime.

In protest, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee staged a dharna for three days "to save the Constitution" at Metro Channel in Esplanade. It was lifted after the Supreme Court ruled on February 5 that Kumar could be questioned at a neutral place and would not be arrested. Mamata described it as a moral victory.

The Supreme Court directed the Kolkata Police commissioner to appear before the CBI and "faithfully" cooperate into the investigation of cases arising out of the Saradha chit fund scam, while making it clear that he will not be arrested. The apex court had directed him to appear before the CBI at a neutral place in Shillong "to avoid all unnecessary controversy".