Bengal CID takes Abhishek Banerjee's aide Sumit Roy to Medinipur court amid tight security

The West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Friday produced TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee's aide Sumit Roy before a Medinipur court in connection with an alleged illegal sale of government land, officials said.

Roy was brought to the court in Paschim Medinipur district after being taken to state-run SSKM Hospital in Kolkata for a medical examination earlier in the day.

A large number of police personnel were deployed in and around the court premises, located around 130 km from Kolkata, ahead of Roy's production, officials said. The CID is expected to seek his custody for further questioning in the case, they added.

The agency arrested Roy on Thursday shortly after the Supreme Court refused to grant him anticipatory bail in the case relating to alleged illegal conversion and sale of government land in Salboni in Paschim Medinipur district using forged documents.

Roy was arrested from a Trinamool Congress office-cum-residence at 121 Kalighat Road in south Kolkata, which is associated with Banerjee, the party national general secretary.

The arrest followed the Supreme Court vacating the interim protection from arrest granted to Roy and declining to extend relief to him. The court had earlier directed him to cooperate with the investigation, while the state government alleged that he had not adequately assisted the probe.

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The case pertains to allegations of illegal conversion and sale of government land in Salboni through forged documents. Former TMC MLA Sujoy Hazra was earlier arrested in connection with the case.

Investigators subsequently traced financial transactions allegedly linked to the case to Roy following Hazra's interrogation, sources had said.

Roy had been summoned by the CID several times during the investigation.

The agency had also searched the Kalighat premises associated with Banerjee in June while looking for Roy.

His arrest triggered a political confrontation, with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and other BJP leaders targeting Banerjee over Roy's alleged role in the case, while the TMC questioned the timing of the arrest and accused the government of pursuing "revenge politics".

Adhikari, announcing the arrest in the state Assembly, described Roy as an "extortionist". Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar and BJP MLA Sajal Ghosh had also alleged that Roy's arrest could eventually reach the TMC leadership.

The TMC, however, accused the BJP government of pursuing "revenge politics" and alleged that Roy's arrest was timed to target Banerjee, who was abroad for medical treatment with the Supreme Court's permission.

(With inputs from PTI)