Supreme Court Re-evaluates Anticipatory Bail in Saradha Scam

The Supreme Court is poised to reevaluate the anticipatory bail granted to senior IPS officer Rajeev Kumar, linked to the high-profile Saradha chit fund scam. The top court will hear the CBI's plea questioning the bail's validity later this week.

A bench, consisting of Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran, has taken note of the CBI's strong arguments, led by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for consolidating this plea with other related petitions on October 17. The solicitor general highlighted a concerning standoff in 2019, where a senior CBI official's home was besieged, suggesting the need for a comprehensive review post-Diwali.

The Saradha scam, which surfaced in 2013, involved duping investors of Rs 2,500 crore. Kumar, initially part of the team investigating the scam, was later granted bail by the Calcutta High Court in 2019, with stipulations for cooperation, a decision now under top court scrutiny.

(With inputs from agencies.)