ON DECEMBER 23, the Central Bureau of Investigation submitted a 271-page application in the Supreme Court, claiming that the constitutional machinery in West Bengal had collapsed and alleging that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was involved in the 2013 Saradha scam. The Supreme Court had asked the CBI to investigate the case; initially, a special investigation team headed by Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar had probed it.
The application also sought custodial interrogation of Kumar. The CBI accused him of not investigating the Saradha scam case and of even returning crucial documents and laptops to the prime accused.
Banerjee could have a troubling January as the apex court is also set to hear a handful of other cases related to the state administration. This includes a case the BJP filed regarding “rampant violence” during the 2019 elections.
The application, a copy of which THE WEEK has, details the alleged mistreatment CBI officials faced while investigating the multi-crore Saradha scam. In February 2019, the state police had stopped CBI officials from interrogating Kumar. “[This] clearly points [to] the concerted institutional connivance [in the state] and a complete breakdown of the rule of law and constitutional machinery,” read the application.
In an interview with THE WEEK (issue dated January 3, 2021), West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar had also claimed such a “breakdown of the constitutional machinery”. He said he had flagged it in a report to the Centre.
This story is from the January 10, 2021 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 10, 2021 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Trump And The Crisis Of Liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
