In what comes as a major setback for former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar, the Calcutta High Court has withdrawn protection from the custodial interrogations and arrest made by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Following this, the CBI reached the ex-top cop's doorstep and served him a notice, asking him to appear before the investigating agency on Saturday.

Sources said that the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the Shakespeare Sarani Police Station and the Additional OC from the Park Street station arrived at Kumar's residence in 34, Park Street.

The High Court Bench headed by Justice Madhumita Mitra while reading out the judgement today said that providing interim protection against CBI's arrests is equivalent to obstruction of justice by interrupting due procedure.

Rajeev Kumar, who recently moved the Calcutta High Court seeking quashing of the CBI notice against him, was granted protection from coercive action but was asked to cooperate with the agency in the investigation into the case. In April, the CBI had told the Supreme Court that Kumar's custodial interrogation was necessary as he was not cooperating in the probe and was "evasive" and "arrogant" in answering the queries put to him during questioning.

As a result of today's judgement, the Calcutta High Court cleared the way for CBI's sleuths to arrest the former Kolkata Police Commissioner if need be. Sources said that Kumar, who is currently on a ten-day leave, is likely to be summoned by the investigating agency today itself for a fresh round of interrogation, failing to assist in which might result in an arrest. According to an update, the CBI reached the ex-cop's doorstep soon after the judgement to serve him a notice.

Appearing in the Court premises today, Kumar's lawyer defended his client by saying that the repeated CBI summons are defaming his client in his social circle. The CBI's prosecutor responded to this and claimed that the intelligence agency has appealed to the Supreme Court for ensuring Kumar's presence in interrogations, to ensure smooth proceedings of the case. According to the CBI, the former police commissioner has been complicit in destroying evidence related to the Saradha case when he was the head of the inquiry committee formed by Bengal Chief Minister to look into the case.

The High Court took note of both sides' arguments and said that it is the duty of an official to provide assistance to legal proceedings. If considerable evidence is mounted against the crime, an arrest can be made, the law is for everyone, the Court said while rejecting the defendant's claim that participating in due procedure amounts to defamation.

Kumar is being investigated in relation to the Saradha scandal, a multi-crore Ponzi scheme financial scam that had left thousands of small investors in West Bengal in the lurch. He has been under directions of the Supreme Court which had asked him to cooperate with the probing agency.