Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee's personal assistant (PA) Sumit Roy has been arrested in connection with the Salboni land case, according to the latest update.
Roy was arrested by a joint team of the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Special Task Force (STF) from Abhishek Banerjee's residence in Kalighat. His arrest comes days after the Supreme Court heard his anticipatory bail plea in the case.
What is the Salboni land case?
The case relates to allegations that West Bengal government land in Salboni was allegedly shown as private property using forged documents and subsequently sold. The state government has also alleged that money generated through the transactions was routed through financial channels linked to the case.
During proceedings before the Supreme Court, the West Bengal government had argued that custodial interrogation of Roy was necessary for the investigation. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had told the court that investigators had found financial transactions involving Roy's bank account and alleged that he had been evasive during questioning.
The state had cited transactions amounting to around Rs 15 crore, including an alleged cash deposit of Rs 71 lakh.
Roy had sought anticipatory bail
Roy had approached the Supreme Court after the Calcutta High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea on August 3, 2026. His legal team had denied the allegations and maintained that Roy had cooperated with the investigation. The defence had also argued that his questioning had been recorded and that there was no justification for custodial interrogation.
The Supreme Court proceedings had focused on the investigation records and the state's contention that Roy's custody was required for further questioning.
Arrest from Abhishek Banerjee's Kalighat residence
The latest development comes after investigating agencies arrested Roy from the Kalighat residence of Abhishek Banerjee. Roy had earlier been the subject of a police search at Banerjee's residence in connection with the case. The investigation had been tracking his alleged links to the Salboni land matter and financial transactions under scrutiny.
With his arrest, investigators are now expected to question Roy in custody as part of the ongoing probe. The investigation is continuing, and the allegations against Roy remain subject to the ongoing legal proceedings.
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