CBI wants custodial interrogation of former Kolkata Police Commissioner

NEW DELHI: The tussle in Supreme Court between the CBI and West Bengal government over the latter’s alleged acts of omission and commission in the Saradha chit fund scam continued on Wednesday.

The investigating agency is demanding “custodial interrogation” of former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar and some other officers, while the state says it’s “mala fide.”

A bench of CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna is hearing the case.


Solicitor General Tushar Mehta urged court to lift Kumar’s interim protection so he can be interrogated over alleged attempts to “destroy evidence.”

Senior advocates Abhishek Singhvi and Indira Jaising said Kumar handed over case records to CBI when the case was transferred. Singhvi quoted a forensics report to say there was no doctoring of records and accused CBI of mala fide initiating a probe.

Khanna said if the court allowed custodial interrogation, Kumar would have to be suspended. Arguments will continue on Thursday.