BIG WIN FOR CBI: Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar to appear before CBI officials in Shillong

In a massive blow to the Mamata Banerjee government, which had on Sunday blocked the CBI officers from investigating Kolkata CP Rajeev Kumar in the Saradha chit fund scam, the Supreme Court on Tuesday gave a go-ahead to the investigation agency to probe the Commissioner of Police.

The three-judge bench comprising of CJI Ranjan Gogoi, Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Sanjeev Khanna took up the matter on Tuesday, and ruled that Rajeev Kumar should make himself available in front of the CBI for investigation, though, the investigative agency cannot arrest him at the present moment.

Further, the apex court ruled that the meeting between the Kolkata CP and CBI will take place in Shillong before issuing notices to West Bengal Chief Secretary, the DGP, and Rajeev Kumar in relation to the contempt of court plea by the Attorney General KK Venugopal, who was representing the CBI.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, who has been in support of Rajeev Kumar, welcomed the SC's decision to not allow CBI to arrest the Kolkata Commissioner of Police.

"We welcome the Supreme Court's verdict. Supreme Court says no arrest. we are so grateful. Rajeev already has written five letters to CBI sating he is available. We never said we are not available. Supreme Court is hearing the case. You don't trust CBI nor the Supreme Court. Your job is to go back and let parliament work. One editor was also arrested from Kolkata. Not saying he's good or bad, just calling someone and arresting them. This is not done. It's a larger conspiracy. Nobody is the big boss of this country. Only democracy is the big boss in this country," she said.

BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli said that the West Bengal government should have cooperated with CBI and added that TMC as a political party needed to introspect.

"There was no need for what happened on Sunday. Cooperation could have been given to the CBI. What is it that is so sensitive in the material that the Kolkata Police is not sharing. What is it that is so sensitive in the material that the Kolkata Police is not sharing?  If the TMC wants to take on the BJP, it can do so politically. There is no need for the other things they're doing. The Trinamool Congress will have to introspect," he said.