Mamata Banerjee withdraws dharna over CBI action against Kolkata top cop
Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday evening withdrew her dharna (sit in protest) against the "misuse" of CBI against the state. She earlier claimed as a moral victory the Supreme Court order on the CBI-West Bengal government standoff in which the apex court said Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar can be quizzed in a neuteral place in Meghalaya but cannot be subjected to any coercive action like arrest.
Lambasting PM Narienda Modi in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, she ended her dharna.
She said she would fight against the Modi regime protect democracy.
"I withraw this dharna for now. But our fight will continue till Modi is removed from power," she hollered as a crowd of TMC supporters cheered.
Naidu praised Mamata and said she is doing extraordnary sacrifice for the nation.
Earlier this morning, the the Supreme Court ordered Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar to appear before the CBI in the Sarada chit fund scam case, media reports said.
The court said no coercive action would be taken against Kumar.
To Attorney General KK Venugopal's plea before the apex court the Chief Justice of India said: "We will direct the Police Commissioner to make himself available and fully cooperate."
"Going by your prayers, we don't think there should be any problem in asking Rajeev Kumar to make available himself before CBI," the CJI said according to media reports.
The central investigating agency on Monday moved the Supreme Court against the state government over its "non-cooperation".
The Supreme Court has asked the probe agency to produce evidence proving Kumar's alleged attempt to tamper evidence in the chit fund scams.
Demanding evidence, the top court said as quoted in media: "If Kolkata Police Commissioner even remotely thinks of destroying evidence, bring the material before this Court. We will come down so heavily on him that he will regret."
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.
