KOLKATA: The West Bengal CID on Thursday afternoon arrested Sumit Roy, personal assistant (PA) to Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, from the latter’s Kalighat residence.
The arrest came barely a couple of hours after the Supreme Court rejected Sumit’s anticipatory bail plea in the alleged Salboni land-grab case in West Midnapore district. The case relates to the alleged sale of Bengal government land and the deposit of the proceeds into the party’s account.
Soon after his arrest, Sumit was taken to the CID headquarters at Bhabani Bhaban in Alipore by the investigating police officials who had apprehended him from Abhishek’s residence.
Police will produce Sumit from Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district before the court on Friday and seek his custody for interrogation in connection with the land-grab case.
Sources said the CID, along with the Special Task Force (STF), had prepared to conduct a raid at Abhishek’s residence at 121 Kalighat Road, where Sumit had been staying. The CID-STF team arrested him within an hour of the raid.
Earlier on Thursday, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana also vacated its August 6 order staying Sumit’s arrest.
With the stay lifted, the police moved to arrest him.