Kolkata: Leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday appealed to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Solicitor General of the Union Government to take up the pending case against IPS officer Rajeev Kumar, now the DGP of the state, in the Supreme Court.
Adhikari told media persons that the 1989 IPS cadre Rajeev Kumar was on bail for the past two years in the alleged Saradha scam, which is being probed by the CBI following a Calcutta High Court Order.
“I would appeal to the CBI as well as the Solicitor General of the Union Government to take up the pending case of Rajeev Kumar immediately after the Supreme Court is reopened today after winter vacation.” the BJP leader said.
Kumar was Commissioner of Kolkata Police from May 2016 to February 2019. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had organised a dharna in the city when a team of CBI officers arrived at the police officer residence to quiz him in connection with the alleged Saradha scam.
He led a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the Saradha scam. The IPS officer had appeared before the CBI in June 2019 in connection with the case.
The Bengal government late last week appointed Rajeev Kumar as the State’s Director General of Police as well as the IGP.
Kumar, was serving as the Principal Secretary, Department of Information Technology & Electronics before taking the charge of the DGP on December 28 last.
He replaced DGP Manoj Malaviya, who retired on December 27.
Earlier in the day, Adhikari on his twitter post (now X) alleged ” To ensure that the illegally appointed acting DGP of WB; Rajeev Kumar is allowed a free run, the WB Govt has now illegally posted a junior IAS officer; Nandini Chakravorty, as Principal Secretary; Home Department superseding 13 Additional Chief Secretaries and another 5 Principal Secretaries. who are senior to her.”
“Nandini Chakraborty (IAS 1994 WB), Principal Secretary Tourism department with additional charge of commissioner, Medinipur division as Principal secretary, Home and Hill Affairs Department, with additional charges of principal secretary, Parliamentary affairs department and principal secretary tourism until further orders,” a state government communication said on December 31, 2023.
The Nandigram MLA also communicated this to Rajiv Gauba; lAS (Union Cabinet Secretary), Ajay Kumar Bhalla; IAS (Union Home Secretary) and S. Radha Chauhan; IAS (Secretary DoPT) saying, ” The posts earmarked for IAS officers of WB cadre are notified by G.S.R. 1584(E) on 22/12/2017 under the IAS (Fixation of Cadre Strength) and some other documents.”
“These notifications clearly show that the Home Secretary, i.e., theHead of Home and Hill Affairs Department has to be an officer of Level 17, i.e., an Additional Chief Secretary, which makes the appointment of Nandini Chakravorty totally illegal.
I have also understood that similarly, there are a large number of illegal postings being done by the Mamata Govt, including that of Rajeev Kumar as Principal Secretary; IT Department, which is a post that should be held by an IAS Officer. Imagine posting an IAS officer as DGP or the CP; Kolkata Police !!! While I will be moving the appropriate forum, legal and otherwise, against this, I exhort the @IAassociation to protest against the mischief being carried out by this corrupt TMC Govt leading to total usurpation of IAS authority and breakdown of hierarchy in West Bengal Administration.”
