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Saradha scam: SC rejects CBI plea challenging anticipatory bail granted to Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar

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New Delhi, Oct 17: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the CBI challenging the Calcutta High Court’s order that had granted anticipatory bail to West Bengal DGP and former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in connection with the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam.

A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran directed that the contempt of court case—regarding allegations that the state police were interfering with the CBI’s investigation in the Saradha scam—be listed after eight weeks.

In November 2019, the Supreme Court had directed the senior IPS official to respond to the CBI’s appeal challenging the anticipatory bail granted to him. Since then, the petition has remained pending before the apex court. Before this, the Calcutta High Court had granted anticipatory bail to Kumar in connection with the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam, observing that custodial interrogation was “not justified” in the given circumstances.

A Bench of Justices Sahidullah Munshi and Subhasis Dasgupta noted that Kumar, who as Commissioner of Bidhannagar Police headed the SIT before the investigation was handed over to the CBI, had already appeared before the Central agency for questioning on multiple occasions.

Rejecting the CBI’s plea for custodial interrogation on the ground of alleged discrepancies in seizure timings and tampering of CDRs, the Calcutta HC held: “We, however, do not justify custodial interrogation merely on this score… in the absence of some other convincing materials. According to our considered view, such discrepancy could be appropriately decided at the time of trial.”

It observed that despite allegations of non-cooperation, Kumar had “consciously offered himself to be interrogated in the interest of ongoing investigation” and there was no “clinching material” necessitating custody. “This is not an appropriate case, when custodial interrogation would be justified,” the Calcutta HC concluded, while granting him anticipatory bail.

The case is linked to an unprecedented confrontation between the Central and West Bengal governments in January 2019, when a CBI team reached Rajeev Kumar’s official residence to question him. However, when local police detained the CBI officers, the team was forced to retreat, prompting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to launch a sit-in protest in defence of Kumar.

Senior advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Biswajit Deb, assisted by advocates Anando Mukherjee and Shwetank Singh, represented Rajeev Kumar before the apex court.

Crime

12 injured in attack on Dalit family in Patna, two critical

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At least 12 members of a Dalit family were injured, including two who suffered stab wounds, in an alleged attack following a dispute during an idol immersion procession in Bihar’s Phulwari Sharif area, police said on Thursday.

The incident took place in the Ishopur locality, where a group of around 25 people, allegedly led by Sanjay Yadav, entered the house of Ramkumar Chaudhary and attacked family members with sticks, clubs and knives.

The condition of Ramkumar Chaudhary and Pankaj Kumar was reported to be critical and both are undergoing treatment at AIIMS, Patna.

The other injured were identified as Aman, Riya Kumari, Bahadur Chaudhary, Lalmuni Devi, Pankaj Chaudhary, Ankit, Aarti Devi, Ajay Chaudhary, Deepak and Anil. They were taken to hospitals for treatment.

A video purportedly showing the assault, including the use of knives on the street, has also surfaced.

However, its authenticity and the complete sequence of events are yet to be established through an investigation.

According to local residents, police personnel from the nearby Ishopur police outpost reached the spot after hearing the commotion and attempted to intervene.

The officers were allegedly attacked by the assailants, leaving several police personnel injured.

Additional police forces were subsequently deployed, and the situation was brought under control.

The victims alleged that the attack stemmed from a longstanding dispute between the two families and claimed that similar incidents had occurred in the past.

However, the precise cause of the dispute and the circumstances leading to Thursday’s violence have not been officially established.

Police have detained two people in connection with the incident, while efforts are underway to trace other suspects.

Investigators are examining the circumstances surrounding the clash, the alleged assault on the family and the reported attack on police personnel.

Tension continued to prevail in the locality following the incident, while the injured remained under medical care and police pursued further legal action.

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Crime

Jantar Mantar protest: Saurav Das, Ranka, Shinde seek more time to appear before police

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Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Ajinkya Shinde have sought more time to appear before the Delhi Police Crime Branch for questioning.

Das, Ranka, and Shinde were asked to appear before the Delhi Police Crime Branch at its office in Rajouri Garden at noon on Thursday. However, they requested more time from the Delhi Police.

The police will now issue fresh summons to them.

This comes a day after Das and Ranka were released from Tihar Jail following a week in judicial custody.

Earlier this week, Delhi Police transferred protest cases against the CJP leaders to the Crime Branch.

The cases are in connection with the incident on October 13, when Das, Ranka and Shinde, along with 11 others, trespassed into Jantar Mantar, which has been de-notified as the designated protesting site.

All were detained by the Delhi Police. While Shinde was released on bail bond, Das and Ranka remained in judicial custody for a week.

The CJP members were protesting against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and raised slogans against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

Das and Ranka were released on Wednesday after submitting written undertakings before a Special Executive Magistrate (SEM), assuring that they would maintain peace and refrain from calling for protests at Jantar Mantar until the site is de-notified in accordance with law.

SEM Ritu Raj directed the release of the two activists after they furnished personal bonds and surety bonds of Rs 50,000 each until the conclusion of the inquiry in connection with the Jantar Mantar trespassing case.

In their written undertakings, both activists promised not to commit any breach of peace and expressed full faith in the judiciary and all its instruments, including the SEM court.

The SEM court observed that the immediate measures required under Section 135(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to prevent a breach of peace or disturbance of public tranquillity could be adequately secured through the execution of bonds, supported by the written undertakings.

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Crime

Delhi Police arrests supplier of banned firecrackers, recovers 57.8 kg from his possession

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The Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) of Delhi Police’s North-East District has apprehended a supplier of banned firecrackers and recovered 57.8 kg of the prohibited material from his possession, police said on Thursday.

The accused, identified as Vishal (35), a resident of Ashok Nagar in Delhi, was apprehended on October 21 following a targeted operation to curb the illegal supply of banned firecrackers in the district.

According to the police, the operation was conducted on the directions of senior officers by an AATS team led by Inspector Deepak Pandey, in-charge of AATS, North-East District. Acting on secret information, the team laid a trap in the Ashok Nagar area and apprehended the accused while he was carrying multiple sacks containing banned firecrackers weighing 57.8 kg.

Following the recovery, a case was registered under FIR No. 466/26, dated October 21, at Jyoti Nagar police station under Section 223(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 9B of the Explosives Act. An investigation into the matter has been initiated.

Police said the accused had previously been involved in three criminal cases registered under Sections 188 and 286 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Sections 223(A) and 288 of the BNS, and Sections 115(2), 126(2) and 3(5) of the BNS.

In a separate incident earlier this month, a joint team of the Delhi Police’s Anti-Auto Theft Squad and Harsh Vihar police station uncovered an illegal storage facility for firecrackers in Mandoli village and recovered 567.30 kg of firecrackers and related material. One person was apprehended in connection with the case, police said on Wednesday.

According to the police, the incident came to light on October 12 when a police team conducting area patrol received information about firecrackers being stored at a premises in Mandoli. The information was immediately shared with Harsh Vihar police station, following which a team reached the location.

At the premises, located on the first floor of a house in Gali No. 12, near Government Senior Secondary School in Mandoli, police found a large quantity of firecrackers and materials used in their manufacture stored in cartons and sacks.

The recovered material was inspected, weighed, sampled and seized following the prescribed procedure.

An FIR (No. 315/2026) was subsequently registered at Harsh Vihar police station under Section 288 of the BNS and Section 9B of the Explosives Act, 1884.

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