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Kolkata police chief must cooperate with CBI, not to be arrested: Supreme Court

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7 years ago

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Restraining the CBI from arresting Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar, the Supreme Court today (Tuesday, Feb 5) directed him to make himself available before the central investigative agency and “faithfully” cooperate with it in investigation of Saradha chit fund scam.

Kumar will appear before the CBI for investigation at Shillong in Meghalaya, said the apex court.

The three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and comprising justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna also directed West Bengal Chief Secretary and DGP to file a response asking them why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them and told them to present on the next hearing.

Yesterday, the Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi led bench had agreed to hear the plea on Tuesday against Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar and others for alleged non-cooperation in Saradha chit fund scam case. The bench had also instructed the probe agency to place before it all evidence by means of an affidavit.

At the hearing today, Attorney General KK Venugopal told the bench that the material handed over to CBI by the SIT was incomplete. The CBI told the Supreme Court that Rajeev Kumar’s investigation “shielded guilty companies” and there was “inaction, selective action and a nexus” between the police and the accused companies. The evidence handed over by the team “is not complete and it was doctored”, the CBI added in its affidavit listing allegations against the Kolkata police chief.

The CBI told the court today that call data records given to the CBI by the Special Investigation Team were not complete and less calls were shown in the data. “The SIT gave us doctored copies of call records,” said the CBI.

Yesterday, the government called Rajeev Kumar a “potential accused” in court.

The CBI wanted to question the police chief on missing documents, it said, but he had not responded to repeated summons over the past two years; he had also skipped an Election Commission meeting on poll preparations, spurring talk that he was “absconding”.

The CBI has said in its affidavit that the SIT “used to shield selective companies such as Saradha, Rose Valley and Tower Group, which had given huge contributions to the party in power (Trinamool Congress) in West Bengal.”

The CBI said that the Kolkaka police chief was the head of the SIT and therefore contempt notice should be issued.

“The nature of contempt is serious. It’s a breakdown of constitutional structure; notice on contempt must be issued,” AG said.

Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi countered the submissions of AG saying that it is humiliation and harassment.

“He’s not an accused, no FIR has been registered against him, all he has done is received a notice under Section 160. No FIR for offence under section 201 since 5 years. There is a political vendetta, as the matter was raised on a Sunday soon after the rally. There’s no offence in the first place, how can I surrender,” Singhvi said.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said: “Kolkata Police is initiating false cases against officers of investigating agency who are working under the direction of this court.”

The court said that though it has dispensed with the personal appearance of the three — the chief secretary, DGP and Kumar it will take a call on their personal presence in court after perusing their responses during February 20 hearing.

The court also directed West Bengal chief secretary and DGP to reply to contempt petition filed by CBI by February 18.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called the Supreme Court order a “victory of democracy”.

Banerjee said that commissioner Kumar never excused himself from participating in the probe. “He (Kumar) said we want to meet at mutual place, if you want to ask for any clarification, you can come and we can sit,” the West Bengal chief minister was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

She also said that the court’s order will strengthen the morale of the officers.

“They wanted to arrest him. They went to his house on a secret operation without any notice on Sunday. We are obliged that the court said ‘no arrest’,” she added.

The CBI went to the Supreme Court on Monday, after its team that arrived at Rajeev Kumar’s Kolkata home was blocked by the police, bundled into buses and detained for a few hours. The dramatic developments on Sunday evening led to Mamata Banerjee launching an indefinite sit-in to protest against the CBI’s action against her police chief, calling it a “constitutional breakdown”.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Amit Shah praises Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, says Nation above post

Amit Shah hailed Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation as Union Education Minister, saying BJP places the nation and students above any position while highlighting the government’s commitment to examination reforms.

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14 hours ago

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July 26, 2026

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Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday praised Dharmendra Pradhan’s decision to step down as Union Education Minister, saying the move reflected the Bharatiya Janata Party’s commitment to placing the nation and students above any political position.

In a post on X, Shah said that for BJP workers, the country, its youth and students are more important than any office. He described Pradhan’s resignation as an example of the party’s guiding principle of prioritising national interest over personal ambition.

Shah highlights government’s focus on exam reforms

Amit Shah said the Narendra Modi-led government respects the sentiments of students and remains committed to strengthening the examination system following concerns over alleged paper leaks.

He said the Centre has introduced strict measures to ensure severe punishment for those involved in examination paper leaks and expressed confidence that these steps would deliver justice to students who cleared the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

Praises Pradhan’s work as Education Minister

Recalling Dharmendra Pradhan’s tenure, Shah highlighted several initiatives undertaken during his time in the Education Ministry. He credited Pradhan with helping implement the National Education Policy (NEP), expanding PM SHRI schools, promoting digital education, strengthening skill development and improving coordination between industry and academic institutions.

Shah also said Pradhan worked towards making examinations more inclusive and student-centric, adding that his tenure reflected his commitment to the vision of a developed India.

Resignation follows NEET controversy

Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation comes amid nationwide protests over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and growing demands for accountability.

The resignation has triggered political reactions across party lines. While opposition parties have described the development as a result of sustained student protests, BJP leaders have projected it as an example of accountability and commitment to national interest.

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Assam flood death toll rises to 66, over 6.5 lakh people still affected

Assam’s flood situation improved slightly on Saturday, but more than 6.54 lakh people remain affected in six districts. Four fresh deaths have pushed the state’s flood toll to 66.

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14 hours ago

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July 26, 2026

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Assam floods

The flood situation in Assam showed marginal improvement on Saturday, though the disaster continued to impact more than 6.54 lakh people across six districts. Four more deaths were reported during the day, taking the total number of fatalities in this year’s floods to 66.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), three of the latest deaths were reported from Sivasagar district, while one person lost their life in Charaideo.

The number of affected people declined from over 7.05 lakh across nine districts on Friday to 6,54,800 across six districts on Saturday, indicating a gradual improvement in the overall situation.

Sivasagar remains the worst-hit district

Among the affected districts, Sivasagar continues to be the worst hit, with nearly 2.9 lakh people impacted by the floods. Charaideo follows with around 1.9 lakh affected residents, while more than 1.3 lakh people remain affected in Jorhat.

The other districts still facing flood-related challenges are Dibrugarh, Golaghat and Nagaon.

Relief operations continue across affected areas

The ASDMA said the state administration is operating 274 relief camps and aid distribution centres across the affected districts. Around 18,902 displaced people are currently taking shelter at these facilities.

The latest daily bulletin also stated that floodwaters have inundated 810 villages across the state, while 34,970.8 hectares of agricultural land have suffered damage.

Rivers flowing above danger level

The floods have also damaged embankments, roads, bridges and other public infrastructure in several areas.

Authorities said the Dikhou River in Sivasagar and the Dhansiri River at Numaligarh are flowing above the danger level, and officials continue to closely monitor the situation.

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UP Government forms new SIT led by 3 IPS officers to probe Ayodhya Ram Temple donation theft

The Uttar Pradesh government has formed a new SIT led by three IPS officers to investigate the alleged Ram Temple donation theft case in Ayodhya following Supreme Court directions.

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14 hours ago

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July 26, 2026

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Ram Mandir

The Uttar Pradesh government has reconstituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by IG Kiran S, with DIG Somen Verma and SSP Dr Gaurav Grover as members, to investigate the alleged theft of donations meant for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. 

The move comes after directions from the Supreme Court, which sought a reconstituted investigation team to ensure an independent and comprehensive probe into the allegations.

The newly formed SIT is expected to continue the investigation and submit a status report before the Supreme Court on July 27.

Senior IPS officers to lead the probe

According to the state government, the investigation will now be supervised by senior IPS officers.  The revamped SIT has been tasked with examining all aspects of the alleged embezzlement of temple donations and carrying the investigation forward.

The Supreme Court had observed that criminal investigations and technical examination of theft-related cases are more effectively handled by experienced police officers, leading to the reconstitution of the SIT under senior IPS leadership.

Probe to continue under court supervision

The case relates to the alleged embezzlement of offerings (chadhava) donated by devotees at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya.

The Supreme Court is monitoring the investigation and will review the SIT’s status report at the next hearing.

Authorities are expected to continue examining evidence collected during the earlier stages of the investigation as the newly constituted SIT proceeds with the case.

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