SC stays arrest of Abhishek Banerjee’s aide Sumit Roy in Salboni land-grabbing case
The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the arrest of Sumit Roy, Personal Assistant to Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, in connection with the Salboni land-grabbing case. The top court, however, directed him to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation. On August 3, the Calcutta High Court rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Roy in connection with the alleged Government land fraud case being investigated by the Salboni Police.
The case was registered under penal provisions relating to cheating, criminal breach of trust, forgery, use of forged documents and criminal conspiracy.
On Thursday, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohna took note of submissions of senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for Roy, in the case and protected him from any coercive action.
“The petitioner to fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation. He should not be accompanied by any advocate or any other person. He shall remain available for any investigation from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, with the usual breaks. However, his arrest will remain stayed,” the bench ordered. Sankaranarayanan said that his client had already been granted anticipatory bail by the Calcutta High Court in another case relating to the alleged cash-for-jobs scam. He also said that the FIR in the present case was registered only after the new Government assumed office.
Opposing the plea, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the West Bengal Government, said the alleged offence had been committed several years ago but no action had been taken by the previous Government. The Solicitor General also strongly opposed the grant of interim relief, saying that his custodial interrogation was necessary.
The law officer also said that attempts by law enforcement agencies to arrest the accused had previously been obstructed by former chief minister Mamata Banerjee. He sought permission to place the relevant material on the affidavit.
Responding to the submissions, Sankaranarayanan objected that political statements were being made before the court.
The high court bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh had declined to grant pre-arrest bail in the case.
It was argued by Roy’s counsel that he was not named in the FIR and that his alleged involvement surfaced only during the course of investigation.
It was alleged in the FIR that the accused allegedly induced buyers to purchase Government land at discounted rates.
The counsel for Roy had told the high court said that he had no connection with the land transactions.
It was also submitted that Roy had been implicated because he had served as the personal assistant to the general secretary of TMC and the prosecution case rested only on oral statements, without any banking transactions or electronic communications linking him to the alleged offence.
He alleged that the case was politically motivated.
The state counsel had told the High Court that the investigation had unearthed forged title deeds relating to Government land.
The prosecution alleged that Government land had been transferred with the complicity of local political and influential persons.
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