Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court Tuesday adjourned hearing on the West Bengal government’s plea against the CBI’s attempt to enter Kolkata police chief Rajeev Kumar’s residence to question him in connection with the multi-crore chitfund scam cases.
The state government had on Monday pleaded for an immediate hearing on the incident from the day before when CBI sleuths appeared outside the police commissioner’s official residence unannounced. The high court had declined their plea said that it will take it up on Tuesday.
Appearing before Justice Shivakant Prasad at the beginning of the proceedings Tuesday morning, State Advocate General Kishore Dutta prayed for adjournment of the matter since the Supreme Court was already seized of the issue. On the state government’s prayer, Justice Prasad adjourned hearing in the matter till Thursday and verbally asked the AG to tell the state police to cooperate in the investigation. The high court had on Monday refused immediate hearing on the case following objection by the Union government.
AG Dutta submitted on Monday that despite a stay by the high court on steps regarding notice to state police officials, the CBI sought to enter Kumar’s residence on Sunday and question him. He submitted that the court is scheduled to hear the matter on February 13 and as such, the CBI’s attempt to enter Kumar’s official residence was in violation of its order.
Additional Solicitor General Kaushik Chanda had submitted that the stay was on a CBI notice to only Arnab Ghosh, the then deputy commissioner (detective department) of Bidhannagar Police, which initially investigated the chit fund case, and two other police officials – Dilip Hazra and Sankar Bhattacharya.
He further told the court that the CBI has already moved the Supreme Court, on the order of which the central agency is investigating the chit fund cases, and as such the hearing on the state’s prayer be adjourned.