Saradha scam: Wife files anticipatory bail plea for Rajeev Kumar in Calcutta High Court

Former Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar`s wife on Monday filed an anticipatory bail application on his behalf before the Calcutta High Court in the Saradha chit fund scam case.

Kumar is accused of tampering with evidence in the case. He headed the special investigation team of the West Bengal Police to probe the scam before it was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Kumar is the Additional Director General of Crime Investigation Department (CID), West Bengal and his whereabouts are not known. 

The CBI has recently told a court that his phone was switched off and he was responding to e-mails.

A local court on Saturday rejected his anticipatory bail plea, a day after the court stated that the CBI has right to arrest him in the scam. 

During the course of proceedings, the CBI contended that Kumar violated the order of the Calcutta High Court as he was directed to stay at home, but now his whereabouts are not known.

The high court had earlier this month withdrawn protection from arrest granted to Kumar in Saradha chit fund scam case. Following this, the agency had summoned him for questioning several times but he failed to appear before it.

The Saradha Group of companies had allegedly duped people to the tune of Rs 2,500 crore promising higher rates of return on their investments.