The West Bengal government has asked the Supreme Court to allow custodial interrogation of Sumit Roy, personal assistant to Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, in connection with an alleged land-grabbing case in Salboni.
The State told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that Roy was allegedly not cooperating fully with investigators and that questioning him in custody was necessary for the probe. The government also sought the withdrawal of the protection from arrest that the court had earlier granted him.
State Says Roy Is Not Cooperating
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the West Bengal government, told a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant that investigators had faced difficulties while questioning Roy.
The State submitted investigation material to the court in a sealed cover and argued that custodial questioning was required to take the probe forward.
Roy’s legal team disputed the allegations. His counsel, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, said Roy had appeared before investigators as directed by the court and maintained that he was entitled to remain silent during questioning.
Supreme Court Extends Arrest Protection
The Supreme Court did not immediately permit Roy’s arrest. Instead, the Bench extended the interim protection granted to him earlier and said it would consider the matter after examining the material submitted by the State.
Under the earlier directions, Roy must remain available for questioning between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., with the usual breaks. He is also required to appear without an accompanying lawyer or another person during the questioning.
Case Involves Alleged Land Fraud
The case concerns allegations of fraudulent transactions involving government land in the Salboni area. Investigators have alleged that people were allegedly induced to purchase land using disputed or forged documents.
Roy is facing allegations including cheating, criminal breach of trust, forgery, use of forged documents and criminal conspiracy. These are allegations under investigation and have not been established as guilt by a court.
Earlier Bail Plea Rejected
The Calcutta High Court had rejected Roy’s anticipatory bail application on August 3. He subsequently approached the Supreme Court, which on August 6 stayed his arrest while directing him to cooperate with the investigation.
The latest hearing has therefore centred on whether that protection should continue and whether investigators should be allowed to question him in custody.
Supreme Court to Examine Investigation Material
The Supreme Court has decided to examine the sealed-cover material submitted by the State before taking up the issue further. For now, Roy’s protection from arrest remains in place.
The proceedings could determine the next stage of the investigation into the Salboni land case and whether custodial interrogation of Abhishek Banerjee’s aide will be permitted.
