CBI grills Kolkata top cop for six-hours in Shillong

The CBI sleuths on Saturday grilled Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar for about six-hours in Shillong in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam, which grabbed headlines since February 3.

Kumar and three other police officers reached the scenic Meghalaya capital on Friday, days after the Supreme Court asked him to appear before the CBI in “a neutral venue” and “faithfully” co-operate in the investigation.

Sources in Shillong told Deccan Herald that a 10-member CBI team, which also reached Shillong on Friday began quizzing Kumar at the agency's office at the hill station Shillong around 11.30am, which continued till 5.30pm. “Kumar reached with his counsel Biswajit Deb and senior IPS officers Javed Shamim and Murlidhar Sharma at CBI office at 10.45am. But his counsel and the two other police officers were asked to leave the CBI office within 30 minutes. Then the CBI officers started their questioning. The grilling is likely to continue tomorrow,” said the source.

Paramilitary forces guarded the CBI office till Kumar was taken out to his hotel in Shillong around 5.30pm.

The CBI had alleged in its affidavit to the Supreme Court that Kumar “destroyed and tampered” with call data records of a key accused and held back evidence in the Saradha chit fund scam. Kumar headed a Special Investigation Team to probe the Saradha scam relating to illegal collection of money from depositors mainly in Bengal and Assam. The CBI is investigating the alleged involvement of politicians in both states.

The issue hogged headlines after Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee sat on a dharna soon after a CBI team reached Kumar's residence in Kolkata on Sunday evening to question him in connection with the charges.

Sources said CBI also summoned former Trinamul Congress MP, Kunal Ghosh to Shillong for interrogation in connection with the scam. Ghosh is likely to reach Shillong on Saturday evening.