Kolkata, Sept. 13 -- In a major breakthrough in the Salboni land scam probe, the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has revealed that two former bodyguards of TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee have stated that Sumit Roy used to receive money from former MLA Sujoy Hazra.
In its primary chargesheet filed earlier this month before the Paschim Medinipur district court, the probe agency stated that the two personal security officers closely tracked multiple high-value cash transactions connected to the multi-crore land scam. According to sources, the security personnel, along with the personal driver of former TMC MLA Sujoy Hazra, have officially recorded their statements.
The witnesses reportedly told investigators that they personally watched Hazra handing over massive bags containing cash to Roy, the Personal Assistant (PA) to Banerjee, on several occasions between 2018 and 2021. The chargesheet notes that the witnesses were previously too terrified to come forward. They feared a backlash due to the immense political power and influence wielded by Roy. While the initial chargesheet formally names Hazra and two other associates, CID officials are likely to file a supplementary chargesheet soon, where Roy's role in detail will be mentioned.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.