Rajeev Kumar is accused of tampering with crucial evidence in the Saradha chit fund case.

A 10-member CBI team sent to Kolkata to track down former city police commissioner Rajeev Kumar, who has been evading summons in connection with the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam, has returned to its headquarters in Delhi, an agency official said.

The special team, which came down to the state capital on September 17, visited numerous locations in and around the city over the past week but failed to locate Mr Kumar, he said.

"The team that had come here for a few days returned yesterday," a senior CBI official told news agency PTI.

The Calcutta High Court had earlier this month withdrawn the protection granted to Mr Kumar, who is currently the Additional Director General-Crime Investigation Department, from any coercive action by the probe agency.

The senior IPS officer, accused of tampering with crucial evidence in the Saradha chit fund case, had moved multiple courts over the past two weeks seeking anticipatory bail, but failed to get any reprieve.

Last week, he moved the Calcutta High Court, which is currently hearing his pre-arrest bail plea.

The Saradha group of companies has allegedly duped lakhs of people to the tune of Rs 2500 crore, promising higher rates of return on their investments.