The CBI has issued a Look Out Circular against former Calcutta police commissioner Rajeev Kumar, whose custodial interrogation the agency has sought in connection with the Saradha deposit default scam, to prevent him from leaving the country, officials said on Sunday.
All airports and immigration authorities have been alerted by the CBI this week to prevent him from leaving the country and intimate the agency on any possible move, the officials said.
The agency wants custodial interrogation of Kumar, a 1989-batch IPS officer, in connection with Rs 2,500 crore Saradha deposit default scam as he was heading the special investigation team of Bengal police to probe the case before the CBI took over, the officials added.
The CBI had told the Supreme Court that custodial interrogation of Kumar was necessary as he was not cooperating with the probe and he was “evasive” and “arrogant” in answering queries put to him during his questioning by the agency.
Solicitor-general Tushar Mehta, who was appearing for the CBI, had said Kumar was in charge of the investigation by the SIT and had allowed the release of mobile phones and laptops, containing crucial records of the alleged involvement of political functionaries in the scam, which were seized from the accused.
Mehta had said the seized mobile phones and laptops were not even sent for forensic examination and material evidence was destroyed in the case.
The apex court had last month asked the CBI to furnish evidence for seeking custodial interrogation of Kumar in the Saradha case, saying it has to be satisfied that the agency’s request was “bona fide” and not for “political purposes”.
The apex court on May 17 had withdrawn protection given to Kumar from any arrest and had asked the CBI to proceed as per law.
Kumar had again approached the Supreme Court on May 20 seeking an extension of protection claiming that the courts in Bengal were not functioning because of a lawyers’ strike.
This petition was rejected following which Kumar had approached a Calcutta court with a request for anticipatory bail.