MHA wants Bengal govt to initiate action against Kumar

Upping the ante over the bitter turf war between the CBI and Kolkata Police, the Centre has asked West Bengal government to initiate disciplinary action against Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajiv Kumar for sitting on a dharna along with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and violating service rules.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has written to the West Bengal Chief Secretary in this regard, sources said.

This move is expected to intensify the battle of wits between the Narendra Modi-led government and the Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress dispensation in West Bengal where the latter has come out in defence of the senior IPS officer, whom the CBI wanted to question in the chit-fund scam case.

The CBI has claimed that it had summoned Kumar, who was the chief of the Special Investigation Team, thrice but did not appear before the agency. When on Sunday CBI officials tried to enter his official residence, they were prevented by the Kolkata Police leading to a confrontation between the Centre and the state government.

In an event which later attracted traction among other opposition parties, Banerjee sat on a dharna in Kolkata against the CBI move. Kumar was seen seated with her when she began her dharna.

Officials said Kumar's action was a violation of service rules and its gravity is much more as he is an IPS officer with a lot of seniorities.

Sources said the MHA is almost sure that the Bengal government would not act on its letter and it could use it against it before the Supreme Court when the issue again comes up.