New Delhi: As Mamata Banerjee continues her sit-in protest at Dharmatala, Centre versus State fight has reached a new high with the West Bengal chief minister alleging forceful interruption of the CBI within the state jurisdiction.

But why has the chief minister of a state turned up in defence of a police officer? Can the CBI investigate a court-monitored probe if the general consent by the state is withdrawn? Lets see here:

Why this ‘Satyagraha’ of Mamata Banerjee

Mamata Banerjee, who began a sit-in protest over the CBI's attempt to question the Kolkata Police chief in connection with chit fund scams, says she will continue her "satyagraha" till the country and its constitution are "saved". The chief minister skipped meals and remained awake the entire night on a makeshift dais, along with some senior ministers and party members.

The larger narrative behind the fear of the Trinamool Congress is that before the general elections, the BJP government is pressuring the CBI to conduct forceful probes in the state which might lead to rattling of TMC government. The entire argument of the Mamata Banerjee government hinges on the fact that the CBI officials did not have a search warrant before they went to question the commissioner of Kolkata Police

About Rajeev Kumar

Rajeev Kumar is the current commissioner of Kolkata Police. He is a 1989-batch IPS officer of West Bengal. He was appointed as the Commissioner of Kolkata Police in 2016, replacing Surajit Kar Purakayastha. Purakayastha was promoted to CID. Kumar was heading the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing chit fund scams. He had led the probe into Saradha and Rose Valley scams that were unearthed in West Bengal in 2013.

CBI wants to quiz Kumar about several key documents that had allegedly gone missing. Kumar and a few more officials were even asked by the CBI to join the investigation but they refused to help. The CBI has claimed that its probe is aimed at locating crucial evidence linked to larger conspiracy behind the chit funds.

Case History

The chain of arrests in relation to the Chit fund scam gained new momentum from December 2018. In December, Suman Chattopadhyay, editor of the Ei Samay newspaper, was arrested in connection with loans he had taken from three chit funds, including Saradha. On January 24, the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested Bengali film producer Shrikant Mohta in connection with the Rose Valley scam.

CBI Claim on Case

First, the CBI stated that as per Section 5 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, the investigating agency if ordered by the central government, can extend to jurisdictions including states, and that when he is conducting an investigation in a state, they would be like the police officers of the state and hence attack on CBI officers was illegal.
Secondly, since this probe is being conducted by the CBI was ordered a CJI led bench of the Supreme Court, the CBI is likely to state that this attempt to halt investigation is a disrespect of court.

also read Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar knows many secrets, therefore has to be saved: Ravi Shankar Prasad