Salboni Land-Grabbing Case: SC Halts Arrest Of Abhishek Banerjee's PA Sumit Roy

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday put on hold the arrest of Sumit Roy, personal assistant to Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, in connection with the Salboni land-grabbing case.

After the matter came up before a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, the bench directed Roy to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation and remain available for the same.

On August 3, the Calcutta High Court had rejected Roy's anticipatory bail plea in connection with the alleged government land fraud case being investigated by the Salboni Police.

During the hearing, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for Roy, contended that the high court granted him anticipatory bail in another case, related to the cash-for-jobs scam.

Hinting that the case was politically motivated, the senior counsel argued that the FIR was registered soon after the new government came to power in the State after recent assembly elections.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing West Bengal, contended that the crime was committed many years ago, the previous dispensation took no action, and he vehemently opposed interim relief for the petitioner.

Mehta contended that once they went to arrest them, the earlier Chief Minister intervened again, adding that she always intervenes “whenever a law enforcement agency is….”