Kolkata ex-top cop writes to EC for leave to avail legal remedy against arrest

NEW DELHI: Four days before the protection granted to him from arrest comes to an end, former Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar, attached to the home ministry on the Election Commission’s order, wrote to the EC seeking casual leave till May 24 to be in Kolkata to avail legal remedy.
On May 17, the Supreme Court had withdrawn the over three-month-long shield against arrest and asked Kumar to seek appropriate legal remedy from the competent court within seven days.Kumar had moved an application requesting the SC to extend the protection period till seven days after the ongoing lawyers’ strike in West Bengal ends but the court declined urgent listing of his plea.
With just four days of the protection period left and the CBI eager to arrest him in connection with alleged tampering and suppressing of evidence in cases relating to Saradha and other chit fund scam cases, Kumar applied for leave till May 24 from the home ministry.
The ministry informed Kumar’s counsel Sunil Fernandes on Tuesday that the former police commissioner’s request for casual leave from May 21 till May 24 had been forwarded to the EC.
Fernandes immediately wrote to the EC and said, “Considering the urgency in the matter and time sensitive nature of the request, especially in the light of the fact that the presence of my client in Kolkata is necessitated for availing legal remedies in accordance with law in-person, especially in the light of ongoing lawyers’ strike in West Bengal, you are requested to consider the application today and grant leave to my client accordingly.”
Ordered by the EC to shift out of Kolkata and report to the home ministry in New Delhi on May 17, Kumar in his application before the apex court had blamed the EC for delaying sanctioning his leave to avail legal assistance as well as to cast his vote.