After SC asks Kolkata Police Commissioner to face CBI, Mamata ends dharna

In an apparent setback for Banerjee, the Supreme Court, which was moved by the CBI on Monday, asked Kumar to meet the federal probe agency at a neutral venue, Shillong.

However, the top court stated that Kumar, who has been accused of tampering with evidences of the chit-fund scams, cannot be arrested now or subjected to any coercive action.

Calling the verdict a "moral victory" of her party TMC, Banerjee said she is "obliged and thankful" to the top court for its order.

Ending her dharna in the evening with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, by her side, the TMC supremo said she will join in another sit-in protest in the national capital in the second week of February.

"I withraw this dharna for now. But our fight will continue till Modi is removed," said Mamata ending her protest.

Backdrop of the protest:

The high-octane political drama unfolded since Sunday evening after CBI officials went to Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar's house to quiz him over his alleged involvement in chit fund scams.

When the CBI officials reached Kumar's residence, they were whisked away by Kolkata police officers and taken into custody. They were, however, released later.   

Kumar faces CBI in Shillong:

After getting the Supreme Court's nod on Tuesday morning, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has begun constituting a special team to interrogate Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in connection with its ongoing probe into several chit fund scams, officials said.

According to sources, a team under the leadership of CBI DSP Tathagata Bardhan is being formed to grill the Kolkata top cop in Shillong.

"As Kolkata CP Rajeev Kumar holds the rank of Additional Director General (ADG), an SP-rank CBI official will be present during the interrogation in Shillong," a CBI official told IBNS.

Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday asked the West Bengal government to start a departmental probe and take action against  Rajeev Kumar as the ministry found that the senior IPS officer has violated Indian Administrative Service rule and discipline by attending a political event- he was sitting on the dharna along with Mamata Banerjee- while on duty last Sunday.

BJP criticises Banerjee:

Addressing a rally in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP's star campaigner, Yogi Adityanath, on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Banerjee and said the TMC supremo was trying to protect a "corrupt officer” in the Saradha scam.

"The chief minister is trying to protect a corrupt officer in the case Sharada chit fund scam," Adityanath said.

"Now, the Supreme Court has paved the way for proper investigation," he said addressing a rally in Purulia.

Referring to Banerjee's comment directed towards him where she said that the UP CM should 'manage his state first, the UP Chief Minister said: " I want to tell her that UP is well managed.”

Naidu, Tejashwi praise TMC chief:

From the dharna stage, Chandrababu Naidu, who is also the chief of Telugu Desam Party (TDP), supported Banerjee calling her the "architect and main pillar" of the opposition unity which is likely to take on the BJP in the forthcoming General Elections.

Sounding the poll bugle, Naidu urged people of the state to make the TMC victorious in all 42 Lok Sabha seats in polls due to be held by May.

In a similar tune, Tejashwi praised Banerjee for fighting against the BJP, who is allegedly using CBI to target the opposition parties unlike Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who in 2017 quit the grand alliance and joined in the saffron party-led NDA which runs the central government.

"Narendra Modi has no answer to the promises he made in 2014 so he is trying to break the formidable opposition leaders. The need of the time was a strong action which has been taken by Mamata Banerjee. So I thank her for the step," RJD leader Tejashwi said.

Mamata produces letter to corner Himanta Biswa Sarma:

The TMC supremo handed out to media a letter written by Saradha Chit Fund chief Sudipta Sen in 2013 in which he made an allegation against present senior Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Sarma is currently a BJP member after he left the Congress and joined the saffron party in 2015.

In the letter, Sen has said that Sarma had "dramatically cheated” him and taken not less than Rs 3 crore from him over a period of one and half years.

Sarma dubs Mamata charge baseless:

Sarma said Banerjee is engaged in a 'frivolous and baseless campaign' against him.

"The frivolous & baseless campaign by @MamataOfficial Didi against me is very painful. I am not fortunate enough like your Police Commissioner. I've joined the investigations and offered my full cooperation as a witness. And all this happened much much before I joined @BJP4India," Sarma tweeted.

(Reporting by Souvik Ghosh and Deepayan Sinha; Images by Avishek Mitra)