KOLKATA, Feb 1 (TOI): The Enforcement Directorate has removed assistant director Manoj Kumar from all investigations after Kolkata police gathered CCTV footage that showed the officer with the wife of Rose Valley boss Gautam Kundu at Kolkata airport and at the reception of a hotel in Delhi.
According to ED sources, a suspension order has also been issued against Kumar who is likely to face disciplinary proceedings. Police may also call him and Gautam Kundu's wife, Subhra, for questioning.
On Tuesday morning, Kolkata Police sent a report of its findings to the ED office stating that it suspected Kumar had a role in "guiding" the Rose Valley boss and his wife. The ED immediately initiated a departmental enquiry. Kumar had earlier confessed that Subhra was a "good friend" and he had known her for quite some time, but maintained that his friendship with Subhra did not impact the investigation of the Rs 17,000 crore Rose Valley case.
The police started investigating Subhra's role after they arrested three hawala operators from the city and seized Rs 1.42 crore in demonetised currency. The arrests led them to several entry operators and accountants. The cops came across two suspicious files, titled "Rose Valley" and "Madam Rose Valley", in the computer of one hawala operator.
Further investigation showed that Rs 15 crore had been transferred from "Rose Valley" to "Madam Rose Valley", and finally to an account owned by Subhra. Police believe the money was routed under Kumar's guidance.
While tracking Subhra, the cops came across CCTV footage of Kumar entering Kolkata airport with her around 10 am on January 18. The two, who took the same flight to New Delhi, were again traced to a hotel at Sunder Nagar in Delhi after 12 pm. They booked the same room and stayed there for two days. "The hotel bills were paid using a debit card registered in the name of one of the accused in the Rose Valley case," said Vishal Garg, Joint CP (crime and STF). The police are also looking for another Rose Valley employee who was friendly with Kumar.
Kumar on Tuesday claimed he was being victimised as he was proactively pursuing the case. "There is an effort to take me out of the case. I am open to any probe by higher authorities," he said. Kumar, an officer of the Indian Customs cadre, had joined the ED's Kolkata office in 2012.
He was at first a part of the Saradha probe but was then roped in to investigate the Rose Valley case. Later, he was made the investigating officer of the case.
Meanwhile, Rose Valley boss Gautam Kundu failed to appear before the court in a case registered by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) against Rose Valley marketing division. The case, initially registered with the CJM, Alipore, was transferred to the court of Pabitra Sen, judicial magistrate (fourth court). "Since he could not appear owing to health grounds, the judge fixed the next date on February 17," Kundu's lawyer, Biplab Goswami, said.