A district court on Tuesday denied interim protection to Rajeev Kumar but disallowed the CBI from arresting the former Calcutta police commissioner.

Through lawyers, Kumar had moved the North 24-Parganas district court at Barasat seeking interim protection from arrest. But judge Mohammad Shabbar Rashidi observed that his court had no jurisdiction to entertain the petition.

On the same ground, the court refused to entertain a CBI prayer seeking an order to arrest Kumar because of his alleged non-cooperation in the investigations into the Saradha deposit default case.

“Since the district judge observed that the court had no jurisdiction to entertain Kumar’s petition, the IPS officer has no option but to move his case before an appropriate forum. An additional chief judicial magistrate of Alipore court can hear such a petition,” said a senior lawyer.

Kumar had moved two separate pleas before the district judge. First, his lawyers had moved an anticipatory bail petition and then submitted a prayer that he be given interim protection from arrest till the court hears his anticipatory bail petition. Both petitions were rejected.