New Delhi, May 23: The Supreme Court Thursday agreed to hear the fresh plea of former Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar seeking extension of protection from arrest in the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam. The former police commissioner was granted protection from arrest for a seven-day period which is expiring on May 24. The fresh plea for protection from arrest has been filed in view of the continuing statewide lawyers' strike in West Bengal.

"All mentioning (of petitions for urgent hearing) are allowed. The petitions would be listed tomorrow," a vacation bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra and M R Shah told lawyers standing in a queue to mention their matters for urgent listing. Saradha Scam: Nalini Chidambaram Files for Anticipatory Bail.

Kumar, in his fresh plea, has said the protection from arrest which was expiring tomorrow, be extended till the lawyers' stir in the state ends. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi had on May 17 vacated its earlier order granting protection from arrest to Kumar.