Abhishek Banerjee aide Sumit Roy while being escorted to a Midnapore court on Friday
Roy was arrested on Thursday by the CID shortly after the Supreme Court vacated an Aug 6 order granting him interim protection and dismissed his anticipatory bail plea. A bench comprising CJI Surya Kant, justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana noted that Roy had failed to adequately assist investigators and had repeatedly evaded crucial questions during 88 hours of interrogation across multiple sessions. A combined CID and Special Task Force contingent arrested Roy at the office-cum-residence associated with Banerjee at 121 Kalighat Road in south Kolkata. Roy is to be produced in court again on Sept 19.
CM Suvendu Adhikari had announced the arrest on the floor of the state assembly, describing Roy as a “well-known extortionist.
Trinamool condemned the action as “revenge politics” and accused the govt of targeting Banerjee’s residence in his absence. “Roy was not cooperating with the investigation earlier, but has now informed the CID that he will cooperate, which is why he was taken into police custody,” said assistant public prosecutor Syed Nazim Habib. The arrest took place while Banerjee was in the United States for eye treatment, with prior Supreme Court permission.
Midnapore: A West Midnapore court on Friday remanded Sumit Roy , personal assistant to Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee , to eight days of police custody in connection with an alleged land scam in Salboni, after Roy declined to apply for bail.
Roy was produced before chief judicial magistrate Atanu Mandal at 2:30pm after a medical examination at SSKM Hospital and transit through CID headquarters at Bhabani Bhawan. Investigators uncovered the scam following the arrest of former Trinamool MLA Sujoy Hazra and found transaction links involving over Rs 15 crore and cash deposits exceeding Rs 71 lakh allegedly connected to Roy. The CID has filed a 14-page primary charge sheet naming Hazra and two others; a supplementary charge sheet incorporating Roy’s role will be filed after his custodial interrogation.
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