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Synopsis

The Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta pointed out before the Supreme Court yesterday that the current Director General of Police in Kolkata is an accused in the Saradha Chit fund scam. 

Mehta informed the court that the vandalism that occurred at RG Kar College and Hospital on the night of August 14 signifies a complete dissipation of state machinery.

''There has been a complete failure of law-and-order mechanism. How can 7000 people in the middle of the night, with lathis and hockey sticks gather without the consent of the police force?,” he said.

SG Mehta also pointed out that Kumar, who is currently the Director General of Police is already under scrutiny for tampering with evidence in the Saradha chit fund scam. 

Mehta further called for a change in the police in charge to lead the investigation in the RG Kar medical college rape case.

“Any officer tainted with charges before this court should be replaced. He shouldn’t be allowed to continue and should be replaced. Why is the state not doing that,” he said.

During the hearing, Apex Court had also pulled up the West Bengal government for a breakdown the state machinery while handling the rape and murder case, while pointing out that the state should completely refrain from attacking peaceful protestors. The Court questioned the effectiveness of the state police.

'But what was the police doing when the vandalism took place?” the Chief Justice of India (CJI) was quoted as saying.

Who is Rajeev Kumar?

Rajeev Kumar is currently serving as the Director General of West Bengal Police and he is in the incharge in the ongoing investigation of the brutal rape and murder case.

Kumar previously held the position of Director General from December 2023 until his removal by the Election Commission of India in March 2024.

Before his return to the police force, Kumar served as the Additional Chief Secretary for Information Technology with the West Bengal Government from 2023.

Since joining the IPS in 1989 with the Uttar Pradesh cadre, Kumar has held several key positions, including Bidhannagar Police Commissioner and Director of the Special Task Force (STF) within the Kolkata Police.

Nexus Between Rajeev Kumar and Saradha Chit Fund Scam

The scheme, Saradha Group which was a consortium of over 200 private companies, was launched in the early 2000s by Sudipto Sen. Targeting small investors with promises of high returns, the scheme quickly gained popularity and collected money through a wide network of agents.

Said scheme was a classic example of a Ponzi scheme. The group raised around Rs 2,500 crore by using celebrity endorsements and sponsoring events like Durga Pujas.

In 2019, Rajeev Kumar faced severe accusations from the CBI for tampering with evidence in the Saradha chit fund scam. The scam affected around 1.8 million depositors across West Bengal, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Odisha. Trinamool Congress (TMC) had alleged connections with the scam, with several TMC MLAs, MPs, and ministers questioned by the CBI.

It is alleged that recovery of documents and ocular evidence of witnesses in the investigation “clearly pointed towards his role in shielding the accused persons”. The CBI has pointed out CDR, Statements recorded by the Enforcement Directorate regarding
Ledgers, earmarking Kumar’s alleged involvement.

It is alleged that in the chit fund scam, Kumar was involved in the suppression of FIR vis-à-vis the Rose Valley Group, one of the ponzi companies which illegally collected money from common citizens with false promises of very high returns. The officer has also been accused of deliberate concealment and non-cooperation with respect to call data Records of the prime accused persons in the scam.

It is alleged that Kumar is involved in a larger conspiracy with respect to the chit fund scam, in which the he played an active role by shielding many persons who were prominently connected to political or other entities.

The West Bengal government formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the case, led by Rajeev Kumar, who was then the Kolkata Police Commissioner. In 2014, the Supreme Court transferred the case to the CBI.

CBI alleged that Kumar had ''destroyed, destructed and tampered with evidence'' while leading the SIT, including erasing call records to protect certain individuals. The agency claimed that Kumar withheld crucial documents and also attempted to assist the prime accused and other suspects. When Kumar ignored repeated summons, 40 CBI officers attempted to enter his official residence in Kolkata on the evening of February 3, 2019, to question him.