Sumit Roy’s Bail Plea Rejected, Sent to 14-Day Judicial Custody in Salboni Land Case

Kolkata: A court in West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district has rejected the bail plea of Sumit Roy, personal assistant to Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, in connection with the alleged Salboni land scam case and remanded him to 14 days of judicial custody.

Roy was arrested by the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on September 10, shortly after the Supreme Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea in the case. He was subsequently produced before a court in Midnapore, which initially granted the investigating agency eight days of police custody for questioning.

The case relates to allegations of the fraudulent transfer and sale of government land in Salboni, in West Midnapore district. The investigation concerns allegations that government land was transferred using forged documents and subsequently sold, with investigators also examining the flow of money allegedly generated through the transactions.

According to the CID’s investigation, Roy is among the accused whose alleged role is being examined in connection with the land transactions. The agency has also filed a chargesheet in the case, naming former Trinamool Congress MLA Sujoy Hazra and Roy among the accused. The chargesheet alleges the use of forged land documents and fake rubber stamps of land-revenue officials.

The investigation has also focused on financial transactions allegedly linked to Roy. Investigators have claimed that around Rs 7 crore was deposited into a Trinamool Youth Congress bank account between 2018 and 2021 through transactions involving Roy. The circumstances and alleged source of the funds remain part of the investigation.

Roy’s arrest followed a series of court proceedings over his request for protection from arrest. The Calcutta High Court had earlier rejected his anticipatory bail plea. The Supreme Court subsequently declined to interfere with that decision and vacated its earlier interim protection, clearing the way for the CID to arrest him.

During the investigation, the CID has continued to examine alleged financial transactions, land records and other documentary evidence connected to the case. The agency has also conducted searches at properties allegedly linked to Roy as part of the investigation.

With the latest court order, Roy will remain in judicial custody for 14 days while the investigation and related legal proceedings continue. The allegations against the accused remain subject to judicial proceedings, and the charges have not been established by a court.