Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee’s personal assistant, Sumit Roy, was arrested by the West Bengal CID on Thursday in connection with an alleged land-grab case in Salboni. The arrest came shortly after the Supreme Court declined to grant him anticipatory bail, paving the way for the investigating agency to take him into custody.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari informed the state Assembly that Roy was arrested from the Trinamool Congress office at 121, Kalighat Road. According to Adhikari, the arrest followed the withdrawal of the protection that Roy had received from the Supreme Court.
Adhikari also levelled allegations against Roy, claiming that he was involved in collecting money on behalf of Abhishek Banerjee. He referred to Roy as a key money collector while making the allegations in the Assembly. These claims are political allegations and have not been established by a court.
The case relates to an alleged land scam in the Jhargram region. The legal proceedings against Roy had been underway for several months. A court in West Midnapore district issued an arrest warrant against him on June 15.
Following the warrant, Roy approached the Calcutta High Court seeking protection from arrest. He later moved the Supreme Court. On August 6, the top court allowed him to file a Special Leave Petition and granted temporary protection from arrest until the matter was taken up again.
The Supreme Court’s latest decision removed that protection, allowing the CID to proceed with the arrest.
The CID is continuing its investigation into the alleged land-related irregularities in the Salboni area. The arrest of Roy is likely to add another political dimension to the case, given his reported association with Abhishek Banerjee and the allegations raised by the state government.
Further developments are expected as the investigation progresses and the accused is produced before the appropriate court. The allegations against Roy remain subject to investigation and judicial proceedings.
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