Rajeev Kumar likely to hand over charge as Kolkata police commissioner today

After the BJP and the Congress accused Kumar of tapping the phones of their leaders, the Election Commission told the state government to replace him during the Assembly elections. He was later reinstated. Sources said the state BJP has been putting pressure on its central leadership to replace a section of IPS officers seen as close to Banerjee before the Lok Sabha polls, and Kumar heads the list.

Some IPS officers who were part of a team set up to probe the Saradha case were on the CBI’s radar. Kumar was questioned by the CBI in Shillong following a Supreme Court directive asking him to cooperate in the investigation. The court chose Shillong as the neutral meeting place “to avoid unnecessary controversy” and made it clear that Kumar would not be arrested. The CBI approached the Supreme Court after its officers were prevented by the Kolkata Police when they went to Kumar’s residence to question him on February 3.