Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee is facing more trouble as a Pashchim Medinipur court in West Bengal Monday issued an arrest warrant against his personal assistant Sumit Roy. The police had petitioned the court for a warrant against Roy, who is accused of fraud and land-grabbing and is currently absconding.
Meanwhile, Roy’s legal counsel Sabyasachi Banerjee moved the Calcutta High Court Monday seeking anticipatory bail. The counsel mentioned the matter before the bench of Justice Joy Sengupta and requested an urgent hearing. The court allowed the petition to be filed, and the matter is expected to be heard later this week.
The arrest warrant came just two days after high drama unfolded at Banerjee’s Patuapara residence in Kalighat, South Kolkata. Early Saturday morning, around 3 am, a joint team from the Salboni police station in West Midnapore, led by a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), along with Kolkata police and central forces, cordoned off the premises.
Upon arrival, the police team found the main gates locked from the inside. When repeated knocking went unanswered for nearly two hours, authorities summoned personnel from the state Disaster Management Department, who used a gas cutter to break the locks on the entrance. Investigating officers then entered the property and conducted a three-hour search. However, Roy was not found on the premises, and officers left without making any seizures.
The investigation is based on a case registered at the Salboni police station involving illegal land-grabbing and financial embezzlement along National Highway 60. The probe gained momentum following the recent arrest of former TMC MLA Sujoy Hazra.
Hazra was detained on charges of forgery and extortion after a complainant, identified as Imran, alleged that Hazra took Rs 10 lakh from him in 2021 under the false promise of delivering houses, but failed to return the money or provide the properties. Subsequent inquiries revealed the land in question was actually government property. During Hazra’s interrogation, the police discovered a trail of monetary transactions linking him directly to Roy, making him a key suspect in the racket.
Roy’s name had previously surfaced as a key witness in a 2022 coal smuggling case, leading to multiple summonses by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Roy has a long history with Banerjee, as the two reportedly studied together through Class 12 at a school in Kolkata.
It is reported that Sumit and Abhishek studied together up to Class 12 at a school in Kolkata. Later, Abhishek moved to Delhi to pursue his MBA. Due to financial constraints, Sumit completed his MBA in Kolkata.