“The highest levels of the BJP leadership are doing the worst kind of political vendetta. Not only are political parties their targets, they are misusing power to take control of the police and destroy all institutions. We condemn this,” Banerjee said in a series of tweets.
The Trinamool Congress supremo’s comments came a day after Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sources in Delhi said the federal agency was “looking for” Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar in connection with its probe into the ponzi scheme scam case. CBI sources had said that Kumar had headed a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) related to both the Saradha and the Rose Valley ponzi scams prior to the probe agency taking up the case in 2014 on the Supreme Court’s orders.
Praising Kumar, Banerjee said the Kolkata Police commissioner was among the best (officers) in the world. “His integrity, bravery and honesty are unquestioned. He is working round-the-clock and was on leave for only one day recently. When you spread lies, the lies will always remain lies,” Banerjee tweeted.
Meanwhile, there was a high drama in front of Kumar’s official residence on Loudon Street yesterday as CBI officers approached the house, but were stopped by city police personnel, who also forcibly took the federal probe agency officers to a police station.
The CBI officers, led by its deputy superintendent Tathagata Bardhan, were spotted near Kumar’s residence around yesterday evening.
Sources had even claimed that Kumar, a 1989 batch IPS officer, may be arrested in the case if he does not respond to the CBI’s summons. However, yesterday, within a few minutes of the CBI officers’ arrival, some senior Kolkata police officers rushed near the residence and were seen having animated discussions with the CBI team. A little later, another CBI team reached the spot in another car, while some officers of the probe agency went to the Park Street police station, apparently carrying a letter.
Bardhan, after waiting outside Kumar’s residence left for some unknown destination after some time, but said an emphatic “no” when asked if they were retreating from the spot.
Meanwhile, a strong city police team was seen near the CBI’s state headquarters at CGO Complex in the Salt Lake area.
The drama intensified near Kumar’s residence around 7pm, as three deputy commissioners of city police and some officers of the anti-rowdy section reached the spot. The discussions between the city police officers and those from the CBI led to some scuffle, following which the local cops were seen bundling the probe agency men into three vehicles which headed for the Shakespeare police station.
Trinamool spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien wondered whether the BJP was planning a “constitutional coup” and said his party would raise the matter in Parliament today.
“BJP planning a constitutional coup? 40 CBI officials surround Kolkata Police Commissioner’s home. Destruction of institutions goes on unabated. “Our demand in parliament on Monday is that Modi has to go. We are reaching out and sharing this with all Oppn parties who want to SaveDemocracy,” O’Brien tweeted.