The West Bengal government has urged the Supreme Court to permit the custodial interrogation of Sumit Roy, personal assistant to Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, alleging that he is evading questioning in the Salboni land-grabbing investigation. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant extended Roy’s interim protection from arrest on Wednesday while agreeing to review investigative materials submitted by the state in a sealed cover.
Appearing for the state government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that Roy was failing to cooperate with investigators and dodging questions during questioning. In response, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing Roy, maintained that his client had complied with court directives by appearing before police, asserting Roy’s constitutional right to remain silent. Presiding on the bench alongside CJI Kant and Justice V. Mohana, Justice Joymalya Bagchi noted that the Constitution also guarantees investigating agencies the authority to make arrests.
Sealed Cover Material Submitted
The state government handed over evidence collected so far in a sealed envelope for judicial inspection. Chief Justice Kant announced that the bench would schedule further arguments after reviewing the contents of the report. In the interim, the top court extended its August 6 order that protects Roy from detention.
Under the conditions of the August 6 order, Roy is required to make himself available for questioning between 10:00 am and 6:00 pm, subject to standard breaks, without being accompanied by legal counsel or any other individual.
High Court Bail Rejection And Charges
The Supreme Court proceeding follows an August 3 ruling by Justice Tirthankar Ghosh of the Calcutta High Court, which dismissed Roy’s application for anticipatory bail. The criminal case involves charges of cheating, criminal breach of trust, forgery, making use of forged documents, and criminal conspiracy.
Origins Of Probe And Defense Claims
According to the First Information Report, the alleged scam involved misleading buyers into purchasing government-owned property in Salboni at discounted rates using fraudulent title deeds. Prosecutors maintain that state lands were unlawfully transferred with the involvement of influential local political figures.
Roy’s defense team argued that he was not named in the initial FIR and was only implicated later in the probe. His counsel stated that Roy had no role in any land transactions, arguing that his inclusion in the case was politically motivated because of his position as personal assistant to the TMC general secretary. The defense also pointed out that the prosecution relies strictly on verbal statements, lacking any electronic communications or financial records connecting Roy to the alleged offenses.
