Rajeev Kumar, a 1989 batch IPS officer of West Bengal cadre, did not even attend a meeting with Election Commission officials who had gone to Kolkata to meet him.

Five CBI officers who were detained by police outside Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar's house in Salt Lake area of Kolkata have been released. Officials said a team of CBI who were probing chit fund scam cases had reached Rajeev Kumar's residence.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also reached Rajeev Kumar's house.

Biddhanagar Police has taken charge of CGO Complex where Rajeev Kumar's house is located.

A team of Kolkata police had reached the CBI joint director’s office.

LIVE UPDATES:

1:59 am| Mamata Banerjee asks supporters to stop shouting slogans

Mamata Banerjee has asked her supporters to stop shouting slogans. "This is not a Trinamool Congress (TMC) protest...don't shout slogans. This is a protest of a government to save the constitution," said Mamata Banerjee.

12:18 am | MNS backs fight against tyranny: Raj Thackeray

Extending his support to Mamata Banerjee, Maharashtra Navirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray said, "We applaud and support the stand taken by Mamta Banerjee against the autocracy and tyranny of the Central government. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena firmly stands behind her and the fight against this tyranny."

#SaveDemocracy @MamataOfficial

...We applaud and support the stand taken by Mamta Banerjee against the autocracy and tyranny of the Central government. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena firmly stands behind her and the fight against this tyranny. #RajThackeray pic.twitter.com/c8DbyiDNkl Raj Thackeray (@RajThackeray) February 3, 2019

11:39 pm | TMC stage rail roko protest

Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers have staged a 'rail roko protest' in Hooghly over the ongoing CBI issue.

Hooghly: TMC workers stage a 'rail roko protest' in Rishra over the ongoing CBI issue pic.twitter.com/uQwdwfudha ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2019

11:30 pm | Rahul Gandhi speaks to Mamata

Extending his support to Mamata Banerjee, Rahul Gandhi said he spoke to the West Bengal Chief Minister. He said that "the entire opposition will stand together and defeat these fascist forces".

I spoke with Mamata Di tonight and told her we stand shoulder to shoulder with her.



The happenings in Bengal are a part of the unrelenting attack on India’s institutions by Mr Modi & the BJP.



The entire opposition will stand together & defeat these fascist forces. Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 3, 2019

11:25 pm | CBI came without papers: Kolkata Police joint commissioner

Praveen Tripathi, Joint Commissioner Crime, Kolkata Police on Sunday said that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers who reached Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar's house to probe chit fund scam cases, had come without any papers for what they called a "secret operation".

Read the full story here

11:16 pm | CBI interim director M Nageshwar Rao has said that the CBI will approach the Supreme Court on Monday over the matter as the West Bengal police was not cooperating.

11:13 pm | BJP leader GVL Narasimha Rao said that the incident unfolding in Kolkata was unfortunate. "Mamata Banerjee wants to protect the corrupt in her state, like a dictator. She is obstructing investigation of CBI which was there as per SC order. She is shredding apart the constitution. We condemn this," GVL Narasimha Rao said.

GVL Narasimha Rao, BJP: Incident taking place in Kolkata are unfortunate. Mamata Banerjee wants to protect the corrupt in her state, like a dictator. She is obstructing investigation of CBI which was there as per SC order. She is shredding apart the constitution. We condemn this. pic.twitter.com/ayoxDVAsUb ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2019

10:59 pm | Secretary of Home Affairs in West Bengal A Bhattacharya in a letter to the state Election Commissioner stated that Rajeev Kumar has clarified he was absent from a meeting on 31 January as he had applied for casual leave for personal reasons. The letter states that Kumar "intended no offence or disrespect to Election Commission of India".

A Bhattacharya, Secy Home Affairs, W Bengal writes to state EC: He has clarified that he (Kolkata Police Commissioner) was absent from meeting on 31 Jan as he had applied for casual leave for personal reasons, he intended no offence or disrespect to Election Commission of India. pic.twitter.com/Sej4MbgxwY ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2019

10:47 pm | TMC workers burned an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Asansol over the ongoing CBI issue.

West Bengal: Visuals of TMC workers burning an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Asansol over the ongoing CBI issue. pic.twitter.com/DiYkBzaK2g ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2019

10:29 pm | CBI Interim Director Nageshwar Rao speaks to India Today TV

CBI Interim Chief Nageshwar Rao says the agency needs no permission from the state government to investigate the matter. He fears that evidence may be destroyed with regards to the case.

Read the full story here

10:21 pm | Support pours in for Mamata

Minutes after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that she would be sitting on a dharna near the Metro Channel "to save the federal structure", leaders from across the country came out in her support. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is expected to visit Kolkata on Monday to extend his support to Mamata Banerjee.

Read the full story here

10:39 pm | CBI to file contempt case against Kolkata Police.

10:20 pm | "The independence of every institution has been compromised under this fascist BJP Government. I stand with Mamata Didi in her fight to protect the federal structure of this country and to save democracy," Dravid Munnetra Kazhakam (DMK) leader MK Stalin tweeted.

10:13 pm | Visuals from outside the Police Commissioner's house. (Photos: Subir Halder)

10:02 pm | A delegation of BJP leaders are set to approach the Election Commissioner over the manner in which the West Bengal government has created a problem with the BJP’s campaigning in the state.

9:56 pm | The new CBI chief Rishi Kumar Shukla will land in Kolkata tonight and will take charge in the morning.

9:48 pm A team of CBI officers came without any papers for what they called a 'secret operation'. When asked what the operation was about, they could not give a satisfactory response: Praveen Tripathi, Joint Commissioner Crime, Kolkata Police

Praveen Tripathi, Joint Commissioner Crime, Kolkata Police: A team of CBI officers came without any papers for what they called a 'secret operation'. When asked what the operation was about, they could not give a satisfactory response. pic.twitter.com/CyS83Z1aKC ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2019

9: 36 pm | Support pours in for Mamata as Akhilesh Yadav and Arvind Kejriwal back her. Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal may visit Kolkata on Monday.

9: 35 pm | Union government orders paramilitary forces to take position in all central offices in Kolkata.

9:34 pm | There is evidence against Rajeev Kumar: Interim CBI chief

"There is evidence against him (Rajeev Kumar), he has been instrumental in causing destruction of this evidence and obstructing justice. We are investigating these chit fund cases as per the directions of the SC. A SIT has been constituted by the WB govt prior to SC's direction under the chairmanship of Rajeev Kumar, who is currently the Kolkata police commissioner. They have taken charge of all the evidence, seized all the documents. They have not been cooperating with us in handing over all the documents and a lot of evidence has been destroyed or caused to disappear," news agency ANI quoted interim CBI chief M Nageshwar Rao as saying.

9:30 pm | Prime minister is determined to destroy all the institutions of democracy. Now he destroying the federal structure of our country. Wake up and stop it before it is too late: Yashwant Sinha

9:28 pm | PM Modi, Amit Shah have no chance against TMC: Derek O'Brien

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah cannot fight the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, said party MP Derek O'Brien. Derek O'Brien also said that PM Modi and Amit Shah have resorted to political vendetta after what they saw at the United India rally.

Read full story here

9: 24 pm | All five CBI officers that were detained by police at Shakespeare Sarani police station in Kolkata have been released, news agency ANI reported.

9:23 pm | CRPF deployed outside Kolkata Police Commissioner's house.

9:06 pm | CBI did not have search warrant: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the Narendra Modi government for destroying the federal structure of India.

Her comments came after a team of CBI officials arrive outside Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar's house to interrogate him in connection with the Rose Valley and Saradha chit fund scam.

read the full story here

8: 44 pm | Modi-Amit Shah duo a threat to democracy: Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday (February 03) slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he has made a complete "mockery of democracy and federal structure".

Read the full story here

8:36 pm | We will fight this till we get BJP out of power in 2019: TMC MP Derek O Brien

8:34 pm | What happened today was unprecedented. CBI officials came without a search warrant. Our sources say that instruction came from PM Modi, Amit Shah and Ajit Doval: TMC MP Derek O Brien

8:23 pm | There was no search warrant or anything. They just came here on the orders of the Centre: Mamata Banerjee

8:22 pm | I want to save the constitution. I will sit on a dharna. BJP is trying to destroy our federal structure. They are trying to take control of everything, media, police: Mamata Banerjee

8:19 pm | "I am proud of my police force. I will protect them. CBI came to top cop's house as if it was a secret operation. Kolkata Police chief is one of the best. There is a constitutional breakdown under Modi," Mamata Banerjee said.

8:16 pm | "BJP is torturing Bengal. They are forcibly trying to destroy Bengal just because I did brigade rally. Yesterday you saw the language of PM where he threatened," Mamata Banerjee said.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee: BJP is torturing Bengal. They are forcibly trying to destroy Bengal just because I did brigade rally. Yesterday you saw the language of PM where he threatened. pic.twitter.com/cK57JFH56j ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2019

8:15 pm | Mamata Banerjee said, "We had even formed a commission to return money to those after by the chut fund scam. The present CBI chief and Mr Doval are puppets of PM Modi."

8:14 pm | Trinamool Congress has declared it will hold a prtoest immediately.

8:13 pm | Speaking outside the police commissioner’s house, Mamata Banerjee said, Bengal is being humiliated and insulted. The way Amit Shah and PM Modi is threatening us. What language is he talking in... it does not suit a PM. They are calling people who serve me tea also. They are now taking on an IPS officer. We were the ones to arrest chit fund owner not Left government.

8:08 pm | BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya said, "Democracy has ended in WB, CBI was investigating on orders of SC but they didn't allow them. CBI officers were detained, this is the first time something like this has happened since independence, we condemn this."

Kailash Vijayvargiya, BJP on 5 CBI officers detained by WB police: Democracy has ended in WB, CBI was investigating on orders of SC but they didn't allow them. CBI officers were detained, this is the first time something like this has happened since independence, we condemn this. pic.twitter.com/vUXPHfiXrS ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2019

7:55 pm | Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim arrives at the residence of Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar.

West Bengal: Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim arrives at the residence of Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is also present there, a meeting is currently underway. pic.twitter.com/48JDc0TTS0 ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2019

7:53 pm | TMC MP Derek O'Brien has called the entire situation a constitutional coup by the BJP.

7:45 pm | West Bengal Director General of Police arrives at the residence of Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar.

Kolkata: West Bengal Director General of Police arrives at the residence of Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is also present there, a meeting is currently underway. pic.twitter.com/oLtLWf3ZnZ ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2019

7:44 pm | CBI may request the governor to intervene in the matter and deploy central forces to defuse the situation.

7:40 pm | CBI sources fear that documents are being destroyed in the commissioner's office and residence.

The CBI has been trying to locate Rajeev Kumar to question him in connection with Rose Valley and Saradha ponzi scams.

Earlier today, Mamata Banerjee said that the highest levels of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership were doing the worst kind of political vendetta. She said this in regard to the CBI trying to locate Rajeev Kumar to question him in connection with the Rose Valley and Saradha ponzi scams.

West Bengal: Police detains the CBI team which had reached the residence of Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar. The team has now been taken to a police station. pic.twitter.com/YXJJ3d11LL ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2019

The IPS officer, who led a Special Investigation Team of West Bengal Police probing the scams, has to be questioned regarding missing documents and files but he is not responding to notices to appear before the agency, officials said.

Kumar, a 1989 batch IPS officer of West Bengal cadre, did not even attend a meeting with Election Commission officials who had gone to Kolkata to meet him regarding election preparedness, sources said.

Chit fund case: Visuals from outside the residence of Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar. A CBI team is present at the spot. #WestBengal pic.twitter.com/2nvzbStFa0 ANI (@ANI) February 3, 2019

When contacted, his staff claimed Kumar had come to office on Friday but had left.

"There is very little chance that he will come to office now. You can try on Monday or call his residence," his office staff told PTI over phone.

The number of his residence given by his staff did not ring and the calls made to his mobile number remained unanswered.

The officials said Kumar apparently became apprehensive of his arrest after Bengali film producer Shrikant Mohita was taken into custody.

According to some eyewitness accounts, Kumar was spotted in a book fair some days back.

The Rose Valley scam is worth over Rs 15,000 crore and Saradha scam is about Rs 2500 crore. In both cases, the perpetrators allegedly have links with the members of the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, they said.

(With PTI inputs)