oppn parties Why Is The CBI Allowing Rajeev Kumar To Play Cat And Mouse With It?

Story Of The Day

Assessee Not Responsible For Ensuring TDS Is Paid To The Government: Delhi HC
OPINIONS : Strongly Expressed

December 21, 2024

People Are Talking About

Rohit Warns Sarfaraz, Police Use It To Warn Two-Wheeler Riders

News Snippets

  • The Indian envoy in Bangladesh was summoned by the country's government over the breach in the Bangladesh mission in Agartala
  • Bank account to soon have 4 nominees each
  • TMC and SP stayed away from the INDIA bloc protest over the Adani issue in the Lok Sabha
  • Delhi HC stops the police from arresting Nadeem Khan over a viral video which the police claimed promoted 'enmity'. Court says 'India's harmony not so fragile'
  • Trafiksol asked to refund IPO money by Sebi on account of alleged fraud
  • Re goes down to 84.76 against the USD but ends flat after RBI intervenes
  • Sin goods like tobacco, cigarettes and soft drinks likely to face 35% GST in the post-compensation cess era
  • Bank credit growth slows to 11% (20.6% last year) with retail oans also showing a slowdown
  • Stock markets continue their winning streak on Tuesday: Sensex jumps 597 points to 80845 and Nifty gains 181 points to 24457
  • Asian junior hockey: Defending champions India enter the finals by beating Malaysia 3-1, to play Pakistan for the title
  • Chess World title match: Ding Liren salvages a sraw in the 7th game which he almost lost
  • Experts speculate whether Ding Liren wants the world title match against D Gukesh to go into tie-break after he let off Gukesh easily in the 5th game
  • Tata Memorial Hospital and AIIMS have severely criticized former cricketer and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu for claiming that his wife fought back cancer with home remedies like haldi, garlic and neem. The hospitals warned the public for not going for such unproven remedies and not delaying treatment as it could prove fatal
  • 3 persons died and scores of policemen wer injured when a survey of a mosque in Sambhal near Bareilly in UP turned violent
  • Bangladesh to review power pacts with Indian companies, including those of the Adani group
D Gukesh is the new chess world champion at 18, the first teen to wear the crown. Capitalizes on an error by Ding Liren to snatch the crown by winning the final game g
oppn parties
Why Is The CBI Allowing Rajeev Kumar To Play Cat And Mouse With It?

By Sunil Garodia

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.

Why is the CBI moving so hesitatingly in the case of Rajeev Kumar, the former commissioner of Kolkata Police? The man has not appeared before it for two days despite several notices to him directly and to his superiors in the West Bengal police administration, who had promptly asked him to appear before the agency. Ostensibly, he has informed his superiors that he is unable to appear because of "pressing personal reasons" and in a separate email to the CBI, sought a month's time. Why is the agency not moving to arrest him forthwith? It would have not wasted a single day before arresting the accused if he or she was a common man and not as privileged as Rajeev Kumar. Should we then infer that the law is different for the privileged?

While Kumar's lawyers made a mistake in approaching the Barasat Sessions court for anticipatory bail (which rejected it as it had no jurisdiction), it defies logic why the CBI's lawyers approached the same court to obtain an arrest warrant against him. Did they not know that the jurisdiction lay with the Alipore court? How could they be so sloppy?

Rajeev Kumar has been trying to dodge the CBI ever since his name came up for allegedly tampering with or destroying evidence in his possession as the head of the SIT that investigated the Saradha scam. The first time he appeared before the agency was after the Supreme Court directed him to do so. But this time, after the Calcutta High Court withdrew the protection from arrest, Kumar, as a law-abiding citizen, should have appeared before the agency after the notice was served on him. That he chose to ignore the notice and asked for time showed that he has scant respect for the very same law that he is mandated to uphold as an officer in the West Bengal police force.

The CBI should locate Kumar and obtain an arrest warrant to take him into custody. No one, however highly placed, should be allowed to make a mockery of due process. When the Supreme Court did not allow the former finance minister Chidambaram to abuse the process, Kumar will not get relief even if he approaches the apex court. If he is wanted in connection with the ongoing investigations in a case, he is bound to appear before the agency. By delaying, he is only making things more difficult for himself.

Other Stories You Make Like

Editorials

Turmoil In Mollywood

Turmoil In Mollywood

NDA 3.0: Coalition Dharma

NDA 3.0: Coalition Dharma

In Depth

Supreme Court Gets Strict On Child Pornography

Supreme Court Gets Strict On Child Pornography

Editor's Pick

Budapest Chess Olympiad: India Are World Team Champions

Budapest Chess Olympiad: India Are World Team Champions
© 2014 India Commentary. All rights reserved.