Top cop Rajeev Kumar files anticipatory bail plea in district and sessions court

Former Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar filed an anticipatory bail plea in the Alipore district and sessions court after a city court disposed of CBI's application saying that the agency does not need its arrest warrant as to the Supreme Court and the Calcutta High Court had already lifted the bar on his arrest in the Saradha chit fund case.

Kolkata (West Bengal): Former Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar on Friday filed an anticipatory bail plea in the Alipore district and sessions court, a day after a city court said that the CBI does not need a warrant to arrest him in the Saradha chit fund scam case.

The plea is likely to be taken up for hearing by the Alipore district and sessions court on Saturday, Kumar's lawyer Gopal Haldar said.

The CBI had moved the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) at the Alipore court on Thursday seeking an arrest warrant against Kumar.

The court disposed of CBI's application saying that the agency does not need its arrest warrant as to the Supreme Court and the Calcutta High Court had already lifted the bar on his arrest in the Saradha chit fund case.

The ACJM said the CBI may proceed against Kumar, who is currently the additional director general of West Bengal CID, in accordance with the law.

Kumar on Tuesday had failed to get relief from the Barasat district and sessions court on his anticipatory bail application before it in the case.

The sessions judge had disposed of Kumar's plea and said it has no jurisdiction in the matter as the multi-crore chit fund scam case was registered at the Alipore court.

While the Barasat court is in the North 24 Parganas district, the Alipore court is in adjacent South 24 Parganas.

Kumar's lawyers had moved the prayer before the sessions judge after a special court in the district, in charge of the trial of criminal cases against MPs and MLAs, refused to hear the petition, saying it does not have jurisdiction to hear anticipatory bail pleas.