Amid an arrest warrant issued by a district court in West Midnapore district of West Bengal, Sumit Roy, the executive assistant of Trinamool Congress’ general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee, has sought anticipatory bail from the Calcutta High Court. Roy, currently evading authorities, is wanted by the Salboni Police Station in connection with an FIR related to illegal land-grabbing in the same district.
Recently, Sujoy Hazra, a former MLA from Medinipur Assembly constituency, was arrested by the police in a land corruption case and remains in custody. It remains unclear whether Sumit Roy is linked to this case. Roy’s counsel has filed an anticipatory bail plea before Justice Jay Sengupta at the Calcutta High Court, though a fast-track hearing date is pending.
Allegations have surfaced within the Trinamool Congress, blaming Abhishek Banerjee for the party’s recent electoral loss and implicating Sumit Roy in corruption cases involving his boss. Riju Dutta, a suspended Trinamool Congress spokesman, suggested that Roy’s arrest could lead to further revelations within the party. Dutta also expressed concerns about Roy’s safety.
A joint team comprising Salboni Police Station, Central Armed Police Forces, and Kolkata Police conducted a search at Abhishek Banerjee’s residence in South Kolkata to locate Roy, whose mobile phone signal was traced in the area.
