Former Calcutta police commissioner Rajeev Kumar did not turn up before the CBI on Monday but sent two state CID officers with a letter seeking a week’s time, sources in the central agency said.

In Delhi, the CBI ruled out granting more time to Kumar. “There is no question of granting him more time. The IB and other agencies are assisting us in tracing Kumar; he will be arrested as soon as we get any information about him. So far, we have not got any tip-off on his whereabouts,” a CBI officer posted in the Delhi headquarters said.

The 1989-batch IPS officer, accused of tampering with evidence relating to the Saradha scam, was asked to appear at 10am at the CBI office in Salt Lake where a team of officers from the economic offence wing were waiting for him.

Around noon, two CID officers turned up and informed the CBI that Kumar would not be available till next week as he was out of Calcutta. A letter in a sealed envelope was handed over to the investigating team, an officer said.

The Bengal government had passed an order on Sunday reinstating Kumar as the head of the CID.

Kumar has yet to move court with an anticipatory bail plea since a Barasat district and sessions court rejected his petition on Friday citing technicalities. The Barasat court desisted from working on Monday to mourn the death of a local lawyer.

A team of lawyers representing Kumar waited till 1pm and left. No anticipatory bail plea can be placed before the court after 1pm. As Kumar’s team waited, a CBI team led by a senior counsel stayed put so they could oppose Kumar’s appeal in case the court chose to hear it.

“Wherever he files a bail petition, the CBI would oppose it,” said an officer.

Sources close to Kumar said the IPS officer could file his bail petition before Calcutta High Court too.