CBI Vs Mamata: SC To Take Up Investigating Agency’s Plea Today As Didi Continues Dharna

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (5 February) will hear the plea of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against West Bengal government’s non-cooperation in the Saradha chit fund investigation. The state police had detained CBI officials when they arrived at Kolkata commissioner Rajeev Kumar’s residence to question him on Sunday (3 February).

CBI had approached the apex court on Monday (4 February) with apprehensions that the Kolkata commissioner was “destroying electronic evidence” and that he should be directed to “immediately surrender/make himself available” for investigation, reports Indian Express.

“As a glaring example of breakdown of constitutional machinery in the state, the CBI officers, who were acting in furtherance of the mandate of this Hon’ble Court, were not only prevented by the West Bengal police, but were taken in, rounded up and illegally confined,” the CBI’s application was quoted in the report as saying.

After hearing the plea, a bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna had listed the matter for 10.30 am on Tuesday (5 February). The CJI had said that the court had gone through the CBI application and found nothing on destruction of evidence.

However, he reportedly also said, “if you (CBI) can lay down any material… forget that he (police commissioner) is doing, that he is even remotely thinking, we will come down so heavily on him that he will regret it.”