Supreme Court to Hear CBI's Challenge Against Rajeev Kumar's Bail in Sharda Chit Fund Case

Supreme Court to Review CBI's Bail Challenge

This week, the Supreme Court will deliberate on the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) petition contesting the pre-arrest bail granted to senior IPS officer Rajeev Kumar in the multi-crore Sharda chit fund scam. The bench, led by Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran, considered the vigorous arguments presented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on Monday, scheduling the next hearing for October 17. The Solicitor General urged that the CBI's petition be listed alongside other pending petitions, including a contempt petition for a comprehensive understanding of the case.

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The bench has agreed to list the CBI's petition with other pending matters for Friday. Kumar was granted anticipatory bail on October 1, 2019, and according to his lawyer, the CBI has not summoned him for questioning even once in the past six years. The Chief Justice questioned the need to keep the case pending, stating, 'What have you done in all these years?' The Solicitor General responded by highlighting an incident where a senior CBI officer's residence was surrounded by 'goons,' forcing him to seek help for the safety of his family in Kolkata.

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Mehta also requested that other petitions be considered together after the Diwali holidays. In January 2019, an unprecedented standoff occurred between the central and West Bengal governments when a CBI team attempted to question Kumar at his official residence but was forced to retreat due to the local police detaining their officers. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee came to Kumar's defense, initiating protests against the central government's actions.