KThe theatre of the absurd being played out on the national scene is enjoyable, perhaps, for an extra-terrestrial. But, a citizen, realising the enormous damage being wilfully inflicted on the institutions that uphold democracy, cannot enjoy the theatre. The drama is painful all the more because it’s being directed by the elected political leaders who promise a renaissance for India.
On 2nd February, the CBI put out the story that Kolkata’s Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar was hiding crucial evidence on the Saradha-Rose Valley chit-fund scam under their investigation; as he might destroy evidence, it was necessary to arrest him. The next day, the CBI sent a team of forty to the Commissioner’s residence, with eight of them trying to get in; asked by the security personnel guarding the residence for any warrant, the CBI men showed some papers. The guards promptly took them to the state police station ‘to verify the papers’ and released them later; state policemen surrounded the CBI office and the residence of its joint-director in the city for over an hour. There was a distinct probability of shooting between the state police and the CRPF which is controlled by the Union.
The CBI intended to intimidate Rajeev Kumar, search or raid his residence for documents and, if possible, take him away. If the CBI ever believed that it could send a team of forty, search the house and even take away the Police Commissioner who commands a force of 30,000, then whosoever planned the operation in Delhi needs to be examined for sanity. There is no need to specify the name of the architect of this absurdity.
Anyone conversant with public administration would know that the CBI acted in violation of established norms. If the Commissioner did not respond to the summons, as alleged, the CBI should have written to the West Bengal Chief Secretary. If that did not work, the Union Home Minister could write to the Chief Minister. And, finally approach the High Court in Kolkata, or even the Supreme Court, if the matter is urgent and important.
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