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Months before the country goes to polls, the Central Bureau of Investigation’s probe in the Saradha scam has become the latest flashpoint between Centre and the West Bengal government. Alleging a coup against her government, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sat on a dharna Sunday evening. The CBI, which approached the Supreme Court against the state government for contempt of court, has been ordered to withhold the arrest of Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar until further orders. Both Banerjee and BJP have called the Supreme Court order a “moral victory.”
Here is all that you need to know about the standoff between Centre and Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal:
The tussle between Mamata Banerjee and the Centre began on Sunday evening after a CBI team tried to question Kolkata police chief Rajeev Kumar at his residence. The team was briefly detained by Kolkata police. Accusing the BJP-led NDA government of “political vendetta” and “misuse of CBI,” Banerjee sat on a “satyagraha” in front of Kolkata’s landmark Metro Cinema at Esplanade.
Claiming the CBI’s actions resulted in a complete Constitutional breakdown, Mamata said, “I have information that Narendra Modi asked CBI officers to do something against us on January 19, when we organised the United India rally, where 23 parties took part. They are frightened to see Opposition unity. Ajit Doval is just following the instructions of Narendra Modi and putting the Opposition in trouble.” Kolkata police chief also joined her in the protest.
“What gave them (the CBI) the audacity to raid the house of the Police Commissioner without a search warrant? Rajeev Kumar is one of the best police officers. This is a deliberate attempt to harass opposition parties. This is a blatant attack on democracy and the Constitution,” she said.
Banerjee, on day 2 of her dharna, used the venue to address a farmers’ convention at the Netaji Indoor Stadium through video conference, hold a Cabinet meeting to approve the state Budget and participate in a police investiture ceremony.
The CBI wants to question Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar as he had headed the SIT probe in the Saradha scam. Accusing Kumar of being a “potential accused” in the scam, the CBI alleged that he has “destroyed material evidence” related to the case. “Crucial evidence was not handed over. It was either destroyed… We want to take the investigation further. We are looking into the larger conspiracy connected to the chit fund scams,” said Pankaj Srivastav, CBI Joint Director in Kolkata.
The agency also claimed that it has been trying to question the members of the SIT, including Kumar, for one and a half years, but they were avoiding probe. The CBI is looking for a laptop, five cellphones and documents, including a diary purportedly of Saradha Group promoter Sudipta Sen.
The central agency has accused Kumar of “non-cooperation” in its investigation in the Saradha chit funds case and alleged he “destroyed, destructed and tampered with the material primary evidence” while handing over the same to the agency. A bench headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi will hear the matter again on February 20. In an affidavit to the Supreme Court Tuesday, the CBI accused Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar of “conniving with the accused/potential accused persons” and was “actively subverting the investigation process”
The Supreme Court today ordered the CBI not to take coercive steps against Kumar including arresting him. Issuing notice to the West Bengal government, the bench-headed by CJI Ranjan Gogoi ordered Kumar to join the CBI probe and fixed “neutral place” Shillong for the meeting. The court asked the State Chief Secretary, Director General of Police and Kumar to file their replies to the CBI’s contentions by February 18.
The Calcutta High Court, meanwhile, adjourned the hearing in the West Bengal government’s plea challenging the CBI’s attempt to enter Kumar’s residence as the matter was already being heard in the apex court today.
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At the heart of the clash between Centre and West Bengal is the Saradha chit funds scam. The Saradha chit fund scam was a financial fraud caused by the collapse of a Ponzi scheme run by Saradha Group, which included over 200 private companies that claimed to be running collective investment schemes. It mobilised schemes through different Saradha Group’s companies like Saradha Realty, Saradha Housing, Saradha Garden Resorts and Hotel and Saradha Tour and Travels. The group collected money from over 1.7 million depositors before it collapsed in April 2013.
Saradha Group promoter Sudipto Sen, who was arrested in 2013, was alleged to have shared close links with the TMC. Few then TMC leaders including Srinjoy Bose, Madan Mitra and Kunal Ghosh were involved with the Group’s day-to-day operations. The opposition had alleged that the group gained more investors due to its alleged ties with Mamata Banerjee. Saradha gifted patrol motorcycles to Kolkata Police. The government deployed and distributed ambulances and motorcycles sponsored by Saradha in Naxalism-hit areas of the state.
The Group allegedly also had connections with Congress leader and former union minister Matang Sinh, and the Assam BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma, who was then in the Congress. Mukul Roy, who was once among Mamata’s closest confidants and is now with the BJP, was also questioned in connection with the case.
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Both Mamata and BJP have called the order a “moral victory.” While Mamata Banerjee said her stand is “vindicated” after the SC order, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad called it a “big blow” for the West Bengal leader.
Minutes after the SC order, Banerjee said: “I am not pleading for Rajeev Kumar, I am pleading for millions of people of this country. It is a victory of the people of Bengal. It is a victory of our Save India campaign. It is the victory of our forces, our democracy and our Constitution. It is a victory of the Opposition.”
Reacting to the apex court’s verdict Prasad said, “Today we’ve to ask larger questions on behalf of the party. Lakhs of small investors were cheated. Is it not our moral obligation for an investigation? Why is Mamata ji silent on this?” It also showed that nobody is above the law, including the police commissioner, he added.
The Opposition has put their weight behind the TMC supremo in this battle. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Jammu & Kashmir leaders Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, DMK leader M K Stalin have extended their support to Banerjee. While Rahul and Kejriwal spoke to Banerjee on phone, DMK leader Kanimozhi and RJD leader Tejshwi Yadav flew to Kolkata on Monday to be by her side.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is expected to meet the TMC leader today. “Attacking political opponents in different states… will have disastrous consequences,” he said. He also said that after opposition parties had started uniting, the Modi-led BJP had lost all hope. “The misuse of Institutions by the union government to victimize political opponents in states is reaching dangerous proportions,” he said. CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury accused both BJP and TMC of “playing politics.”
The issue was also raised in Parliament. While Rajya Sabha was adjourned on Monday and Tuesday due to loud protests by Opposition, Home Minister Rajnath Singh had to address the issue in Lok Sabha. Even as Singh was addressing the House, the Opposition kept raising slogans of “CBI tota hai (CBI is a parrot).”
BJD also accused the CBI of “unprofessional conduct”. However, BJD signalled that it is not supporting the Bengal government. “BJD would like to clarify that the statement given by BJD on CBI is in relation to Odisha and the overall issues confronting CBI at the national level. Grouping BJD with some political parties because of this statement is incorrect and misleading,” the party tweeted.
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, meanwhile, called the Bengal protest a “political gimmick.” K Chandrasekhar Rao’s TRS has, however, maintained silence over the issue.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh called the incident in Bengal “unfortunate.” He also dialled Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi and sought a report from him. He also called detaining of CBI officers as “unprecedented.” He said, “This sort of confrontation among law enforcement agencies is not only unfortunate but also poses a serious danger to the federal and political system of the country… If law enforcement agencies, whether of the central government or state governments, are stopped from discharging their lawful duties, it will lead to serious disorder and obstruct work in accordance with the blue book prescribed under the Constitution”.
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