Mamata calls off dharna following favourable court order

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday called off her dharna against the CBI attempting to question the city police chief in ponzi scam cases.

Calling off her sit-in on its third day, Banerjee said she was doing so after consulting leaders of major opposition parties and following “a favourable court order”.

She had been sitting on the dharna since Sunday night at the Metro channel in Esplanade area, the spot where she had held a 26-day fast against the acquisition of farm land for the Tata Motors small car unit at Singur in 2006.

Opposition leaders like Chandrababu Naidu of TDP, Tejashwi Yadav of RJD and Kanimozhi of DMK had visited her at the dharna spot.

The Supreme Court had earlier in the day directed Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar to appear before the CBI and “faithfully” cooperate into the investigation of cases arising out of the Saradha chit fund scam, while it making it clear that he will not be arrested.

To avoid all “unnecessary controversy”, the apex court also directed the commissioner of Kolkata police to appear before the investigating agency at a neutral place in Shillong, on such dates as may be fixed by the probe agency.