Kolkata top cop Rajeev Kumar faces action for joining Mamata’s dharna
05 Feb 2019
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The centre has asked West Bengal government to 'initiate disciplinary proceedings' against Kolkata top cop Rajeev Kumar for indulging in ‘indisciplinary behaviour” and violating All India Service (Conduct) Rules.
The ministry of home affairs (MHA) has written to the West Bengal government directing it to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Kolkata Commissioner of Police Rajeev Kumar, who is at the centre of the standoff between the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Kolkata Police.
The centre was prompted to ask the state administration to initiate disciplinary action against the senior police official as Kumar had participated in a ‘dharna’ organised by political parties, an act which is not allowed under All India Service Rules 1968, rule numbers 3, 5 and 7.
Since 3 February, West Bengal chief minister is sitting on a ‘Save the Constitution” dharna against the CBI’s bid to question Kumar at his residence in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam on Sunday.
The Supreme Court today ordered Kumar to appear before the CBI and cooperate with it in the chit fund scam probe. The court also ordered that the probe agency cannot arrest the Kolkata Commissioner of Police or take any “coercive action” against him.
The matter escalated on Sunday evening when a team of CBI officials reached Kumar’s residence in Kolkata to question him in connection with the chit fund scams case. The CBI said that they had previously summoned Kumar multiple times but he had not responded to them.
Kolkata Police stopped the CBI team outside Kumar’s residence and later detained five CBI officials after a minor scuffle broke out. The detained cops were later let off, however, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee decided to sit on a ‘dharna’ to protest against what she called a “witch hunt” by PM Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.
