NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation claimed on Saturday that Kolkata Police commissioner Rajeev Kumar, a 1989 batch IPS officer, is “absconding” and is “being looked for” for his role in going slow or diluting the SIT probe in multi-crore Saradha and Rose Valley Ponzi scams.Asserting that Kumar is a “suspect” in the chit fund probes, CBI sources said that they had summoned the officer twice for interrogation but he had not been cooperating. The sources added that Rajeev Kumar faces “imminent arrest” by CBI.The Kolkata Police chief was also not attending the election commission (EC) meetings in the state for past few days following which the CEC has sought an explanation from the state government. Senior Kolkata Police officials however said that Kumar is not absconding.West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee later had told the reporters: “We apologise to the EC. The police commissioner is on leave. The EC had asked us to transfer all officers who have been in their post for three years or are in their home district. We are in the process of completing the necessary instructions by February 15 or 20. The commissioner is on leave and this is a small matter. However, since the EC inquired, we apologise. We hold the EC in high esteem.”The CBI had last year written to the DGP of West Bengal saying it wants to question four police officers - Rajeev Kumar, Additional Commissioner (I) of Kolkata Police - Vineet Kumar Goyal, Inspector General (Railways) Tamal Basu and retired IPS officer Pallab Kanti Ghosh.They were part of the SIT, headed by Kumar, which was appointed by the state in 2013 to investigate the chit fund cases.CBI sources added that when Kumar was leading the state SIT, crucial evidence had either been lost or tampered with to save some influential persons in the states.Rajeev Kumar, after CBI summoned him, had even written to then CBI director Alok Kumar Verma, recently sacked over alleged corruption charges. The Saradha and Rose Valley chit fund probes were being headed by the then special director Rakesh Asthana at that time, which apparently had become another bone of contention between Verma and Asthana. Verma had reportedly questioned Asthana on why he was going after Kolkata police officers.In response to CBI summons to Kumar, West Bengal Police had last year issued a notice to one of the CBI investigating officers of Rose Valley cases.However senior Kolkata police officials told TOI that police commissioner Rajeev Kumar attended office on Saturday and worked till late in the evening. He would be flagging off a car rally on Sunday, they added. Kumar himself did not respond to calls. Police officials said they would respond to the CBI’s statements “with appropriate legal action”.CBI has filed over 80 chargesheets in Rose Valley and Saradha scam so far while over Rs 1,000 crore of public money has been recovered.