Kolkata, Sept. 10 -- The state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Thursday arrested Sumit Roy, personal assistant to Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee, within hours of the Supreme Court withdrawing his interim protection from arrest over alleged non-cooperation in the Salboni land grab case.
Roy was arrested at the TMC party office-cum-Abhishek Banerjee's Kalighat residence in south Kolkata by a joint CID-Special Task Force (STF) team of the West Bengal Police. The arrest, his departure from the spot and arrival at CID headquarters at Bhabani Bhawan were videographed. Roy also underwent a mandatory medical examination.
The arrest relates to the alleged illegal grabbing and fraudulent transfer of government land in Salboni, West Midnapore, using forged documents. Investigating agencies had earlier told the Supreme Court that proceeds from the alleged illegal land transactions were funnelled into a political party account.
Sources said the CID had planned to seek withdrawal of the protection at Thursday's hearing and was prepared to arrest Roy immediately if it was withdrawn. Plainclothes personnel and police in disguise had allegedly been following him since his last appearance to prevent him from absconding again.
The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed Roy's anticipatory bail plea, refusing to interfere with the Calcutta High Court's order denying him pre-arrest protection. A Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana thereby vacated the interim protection earlier granted to Roy.
During the hearing, Roy's counsel, Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, submitted that his client had undergone 88 hours of questioning across 11 appearances without any incriminating material emerging. He argued that Roy was neither named in the FIR nor confronted with any forged document, victim or complainant.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the investigating authorities, said the line of questioning was the investigator's prerogative. The Bench noted witness statements alleging that illicit funds were handed over to Roy, followed by contemporaneous cash deposits in bank accounts, and dismissed the plea. Roy had earlier remained absconding until the Supreme Court granted him interim protection subject to his cooperation with investigators. He subsequently appeared before CID officers 11 times, though the agency alleged non-cooperation.
TMC MLA Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay said Roy was not a party member, while MLA Kunal Ghosh declined to comment on the matter.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.