Sumit Roy: The key aide who managed access to Abhishek
Times of India | 14 June 2026
Kolkata: In West Bengal's power corridors, few names wielded as much influence while remaining outside public gaze as Sumit Roy. On Saturday, that anonymity evaporated while the man vanished.
A pre-dawn police operation at Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee's Kalighat residence thrust Roy — Banerjee's long-time aide and personal secretary — into the centre of a widening investigation linked to an alleged land fraud case in West Midnapore.
Widely regarded as one of Banerjee's closest associates, Roy handled the Diamond Harbour MP's political, administrative and constituency-related affairs for years. Senior TMC functionaries as well as grassroots workers viewed him as part of Banerjee's innermost circle.
"He was the man everyone had to go through," said a senior Trinamool functionary familiar with Roy's rise within the party. Locals and party sources claimed that everyone, from IPS officers to MPs and MLAs, often had to wait for hours to secure an audience with Banerjee through Roy.
Roy's influence grew after Trinamool's 2021 assembly poll win. From coordinating with district units to assessing netas based on I-PAC reports, he played a pivotal role. Party insiders often referred to Banerjee as "Boss" and Roy as "Captain". Incidentally, they had studied in the same school.
Asked about Roy, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh remarked pointedly: "Please do not ask me about someone so big. These are the characters responsible for the rot today. Where are those Sumit Roy fan clubs today? These are the people who determined who had access to Abhishek, alienating many party workers. He even tried to scuttle my MLA nomination until Mamata Banerjee intervened personally."
A March 14, 2025 social media post by a TMC-affiliated group reflected that perception. "Meet the man who makes it all happen! Dada Sumit Roy, your expertise and leadership are invaluable to us," the post read while praising preparations for Banerjee's mega virtual meeting.
Roy, currently absconding, resides in a two-storeyed house at 8A, Canal Road in Mahabirtala with his mother and wife. His father Shambhu Roy, a TMC functionary, died two months ago. On Saturday, his aunt, who was present at the house, said neither Roy nor his wife were home.
"Sumit hasn't returned home since Friday," she said, adding that Roy's mother was unwell.
Residents described Roy as a powerful local figure whose influence extended beyond politics. He was instrumental in promoting the Samaj Seba Club Durga Puja, which had courted controversy after allegedly blocking a major thoroughfare during festivities.
Neighbours also alleged that individuals close to Roy invoked his name to exert pressure. Bibha Sutradhar, a resident of the locality, claimed Roy's driver, Pachu Das, had illegally occupied a flat allotted to her by Kolkata Municipal Corporation. "I complained to KMC but nothing happened," she alleged.
Roy had previously come under the scanner of central agencies. In 2023, the Enforcement Directorate questioned him for nearly 10 hours after his name surfaced during the probe into alleged irregularities in recruitment of teachers in govt and govt-sponsored schools.
Now, investigators are examining his alleged role in a land fraud case registered in Kharagpur. Police sources said banking records revealed substantial transactions from accounts linked to former Trinamool MLA Sujoy Hazra, who was arrested earlier in the case, to Roy's bank account. Investigators are looking at whether those transfers are connected to the alleged fraud.
After the rare criticism from within TMC ranks, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar was even more scathing. "Everyone connected with politics and administration knows that Sumit was the one who used to run everything. He used to decide which police officer or SP would be transferred, where they would be posted and who had to pay money for what purpose," he alleged.