CID may summon police chief

KOLKATA: Police commissioner Prasun Mukherjee may be questioned in the Rizwanur Rahman death case, CID said on Monday.

"We have heard that the Todis went to meet the commissioner. If we gather enough evidence, we may summon the commissioner as well as DC (DD) Ajoy Kumar and DC (headquarters) Gyanwant Singh. The director-general of police (Anup Vohra) has told us that even the seniormost officer may be summoned. There are no restrictions," CID IG Mukul Sengupta said on Monday.

Despite the tough talk, CID did not summon the two deputy commissioners. Sources had said earlier that the two would be called to Bhawani Bhavan on Monday. And it seems that they might not be summoned till the forensic report is out, which might take up to a month. By that time, the public outrage over Rahman’s death is sure to die down.

Sengupta, however, maintained that CID was not trying to shield Kumar and Singh. "We do not have any evidence against the two IPS officers," he said. Asked why CID had questioned sub-inspector Krishnendu Das and assistant commissioner Sukanti Chakraborty, he said there were specific allegations against them. The implication was that they were interrogated as they had threatened Rahman’s friend Sadiq Hossain.

But this line of argument does not absolve the two deputy commissioners. Rizwanur had claimed before his death that Kumar had threatened him. Even Das and Chakraborty have told CID that they had acted on Kumar and Singh’s instructions. But CID seems hesitant to summon the two IPS officers without sufficient evidence.

"We have examined 51 people on a preliminary basis so far. The autopsy surgeon has not been able to arrive at a conclusion on whether Rahman was killed or had committed suicide. We have sent the viscera for forensic tests. Only after we receive the autopsy surgeon’s report will we decide whether to call the two IPS officers," Sengupta said. He, however, debunked the theory that Rahman’s death may have been an accident. "Why would he be walking down the tracks at that time?" he pointed out.

Sengupta also said Kolkata Police did no wrong in summoning Sadiq for questioning from Budge Budge. As Rahman’s house was in the Karaya police station area, the city police could summon anyone in the case. On Saturday, ADG CID Bhupinder Singh had categorically asked Das and Chakraborty why Kolkata Police had intervened when both Sadiq and Todi’s residences were under the jurisdiction of West Bengal Police.

On Monday, the ADG CID and other senior officers stayed away from the media.

State home secretary Prasad Ranjan Roy said at Writers’ Buildings that Kumar and Singh would have to go for questioning if CID summoned them. "As far as I know, they have not been called yet," he added.

Insiders claimed that both Kumar and Singh had sought an audience with state advocate-general Balai Ray on Monday to seek legal advice. Some said even CID officers had met Ray later.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com