New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday granted time to former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar to file his additional reply to the CBI's claim that he withheld information relating to call data records of the accused in the chit fund scam.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, which was to hear the plea of CBI seeking custodial interrogation of Kumar in the chit fund scam, later adjourned the hearing to April 30.
"List the matters on April 30 by which time respondent No.3 (Kumar) may file an additional affidavit, as prayed," said the bench, also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for CBI, said that despite getting the complete CDRs from mobile service providers, Vodafone and Airtel, Kumar withheld information with some ulterior motive.
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CBI has alleged that on perusal of CDRs and the information received from Vodafone, it has come to light that despite getting the complete records, Kumar did not provide all information to the central agency.
Earlier, Kumar had alleged that he was targeted by CBI in the chit fund case due to "mala fide intent" and "conflict of interest" of former interim CBI director M Nageshwara Rao as his family members were under the scanner post-demonetisation.
He had alleged that post demonetisation in November 2016, investigation was initiated into some shell companies that prima facie were involved in receiving huge deposits and an FIR was registered.
During the probe of shell companies, the role of one firm Agela Mercantiles Pvt Ltd came under the scanner for collecting money from public unauthorisedly, he had said, alleging that during the further investigation of the case names of wife and daughter of Rao have come to light and the matter is being further probed.
Kumar in his affidavit had also alleged that he has also been targeted by the CBI as part of the larger conspiracy between two BJP leaders in the chit fund case.
He named BJP leaders Mukul Roy and Kailash Vijyawargiya behind the larger conspiracy and told the apex court that an audio clip is available in public domain where they clearly speak of "targeting" a few "senior police officers".
"The sudden inexplicable turn by the petitioner/CBI in pointing out problems with the investigation and targeting the alleged contemnor seems to be borne out of a larger conspiracy between two senior leaders Mukul Roy and Kailash Vijaywargiya of the BJP, the ruling party at the centre," the affidavit said.
The apex court, on February 5, had granted protection from arrest to Kumar while directing him to appear before the CBI and "faithfully" cooperating into the investigation of cases arising out of the scam.
The CBI also sought the court's directions to examine Kumar and other police officials to recover the material evidence and to investigate into the acts of omission and commission on the part of Bidhan Nagar Police commissionerate and SIT officials in causing concealment of the evidence collected by them during the investigation.
Earlier, the apex court had termed as "very very serious" the revelations made by the CBI in its status report relating to the interrogation of Kumar.
