Kolkata Police Chief Rajeev Kumar trying to influence officers linked to probe: ex-TMC MP

Former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Kunal Ghosh on Tuesday said he has filed a fresh complaint with the CBI, accusing Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar of trying to “influence” other key officials tied to chit fund scam probes.

Former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Kunal Ghosh on Tuesday said he has filed a fresh complaint with the CBI, accusing Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar of trying to “influence” other key officials tied to chit fund scam probes.

Ghosh made the announcement after returning to Kolkata a day after the CBI concluded his questioning in Shillong, Meghalaya. Kumar, on the other hand, was questioned for around 11 hours on Tuesday.

A senior CBI officer said the agency is using the results of its interrogation so far to pressure Kumar to elaborate on the role of each member of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) set up by the state government in 2013 to look into the chit fund cases.  “During the joint interrogation, a few names which were already there cropped up again. They are mostly names of police officers. We are looking into it,” said the officer.

Speaking to reporters at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International airport, Ghosh said, “I have submitted a written complaint to CBI, demanding strict action as Rajeev Kumar is trying to influence police officers who can play an important role in the investigation. During the joint questioning, the names of a few police officers had cropped up. He (said he) has spoken to them on the phone after the questioning (began on Saturday).”

“The entire session was being videographed, so there is no question of me making false allegations. If he is allowed to talk about the interrogation session to police officers whose names were brought up during the questioning, there is no use of having a joint interrogation,” he added.

The Kolkata Police Commissioner could not be reached for comment. The CBI source said he will be questioned on Wednesday as well.

“There are many cases not one, so he has been summoned tomorrow as well,” said the officer.

The former Trinamool Congress MP also reiterated that he had given information to Kumar after his 2013 arrest, but that no action had been taken. He was then the CEO of Saradha Group’s media arm and had been arrested by the then Bidhannagar deputy commissioner Arnab Ghosh.

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