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Abhishek Banerjee’s PA Arrested! CID Action Follows Supreme Court Setback
Kolkata : In a major development that could intensify the political heat in West Bengal, Sumit Roy, personal assistant (PA) to Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee, has been arrested by the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in connection with the ongoing Shalboni land corruption case.
The arrest came shortly after the Supreme Court on Thursday rejected Roy’s anticipatory bail plea and withdrew the protection earlier granted to him. Following the court’s order, a CID team reached Abhishek Banerjee’s residence at Kalighat in Kolkata, where Roy was taken into custody. After his arrest, he was reportedly taken to Bhavani Bhavan and subsequently to SSKM Hospital for a medical examination.
Tensions reportedly escalated at the Kalighat residence when CID personnel arrived, with reports of a scuffle involving police and security personnel before the investigating team entered the premises and took Roy into custody. Speaking in the West Bengal Assembly, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari referred to Roy as an alleged “toll collector” and said he had been arrested from 121 Kalighat Road after the Supreme Court withdrew his protection.
Roy is among the accused in the Shalboni land case, in which allegations include changing the character of government land, preparing forged documents and facilitating the sale of land. During proceedings before the Supreme Court, the state reportedly alleged that around ₹71 lakh was deposited into Roy’s bank account in June, prompting investigators to examine the source of the funds.
The state also alleged that Roy had not been adequately cooperating with the investigation, while the Supreme Court observed that he had been given sufficient opportunity before withdrawing the protection. According to CID sources, Roy may be produced before a Midnapore court, where the investigating agency is expected to seek his custody for further questioning.
The arrest has added another dramatic turn to the politically sensitive investigation and is likely to trigger a fresh round of political reactions in West Bengal.
