CBI grills Kolkata top cop for third day in Saradha chit fund scam

The CBI questioned Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar for the third consecutive day on Monday in the Saradha chit fund scam. Former Trinamool Congress MP, Kunal Ghosh was also quizzed before being allowed to return to Kolkata.

Kumar was questioned till 7pm and was asked to return to the CBI office on Tuesday morning. Ghosh’s questioning continued for an hour beyond that of Kumar and after completion, he was allowed to return to Kolkata, an official of the agency said.

While Kumar joined the investigations on Saturday, Ghosh’s questioning began on Sunday. CBI officials on Tuesday said that both Kumar and Ghosh were questioned together for a considerable period of time.

While leaving the CBI office, Ghosh said, “I have cooperated with the investigation and now I am going back. I have participated in the confrontation session with Rajeev Kumar.” However, he refused to divulge details.

A CBI official on condition of anonymity said that they were also questioned on the Rose Valley case, another chit fund scam. On Tuesday, Chozam Sherpa, a deputy superintendent of police with the CBI who is the investigating officer in the Rose Valley case reached Shillong from Kolkata to participate in the interrogation.

On Monday morning, Ghosh in a Facebook post urged political parties not to politicise the CBI probe. “I request all political parties not to politicise the matter,” Ghosh wrote. “The steps that are being taken now for the sake of investigation should have been taken long back – during the time of investigation by the SIT (which Kumar led)… However, better late than never.”

Ghosh was arrested by the SIT in November 2013 when he was TMC Rajya Sabha MP. He was granted bail in 2016.

Last week, the Supreme Court had directed Kumar to appear before the CBI and “faithfully” cooperate in the investigation of cases arising out of the Saradha chit fund scam.

The court chose Shillong as the neutral meeting place “to avoid all unnecessary controversy” and made it clear that Kumar would not be arrested.

The CBI had moved the Supreme Court after its officials were stopped by the Kolkata Police when they had gone to Kumar’s official residence in Kolkata to question him on February 3.