NEW DELHI/KOLKATA: The Supreme Court on September 10 refused anticipatory bail to Sumit Roy, personal assistant to Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, in the alleged Salboni government land-grab case, clearing the way for his custodial interrogation after the West Bengal Government placed before the Court details of substantial cash transactions allegedly linked to him.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana dismissed Roy’s challenge to the Calcutta High Court’s August 3 order refusing him pre-arrest bail. The matter was registered before the Supreme Court as Sumit Roy v. State of West Bengal, SLP (Crl.) No. 14455 of 2026.
Soon after the Supreme Court declined relief, Roy was arrested by the West Bengal CID in Kolkata in connection with the case.
The case originates from Salboni Police Station Case No. 133 of 2026, registered on June 5 under provisions relating to cheating, forgery, use of forged documents, criminal breach of trust and conspiracy. The investigation concerns allegations of illegal dealing in government land, including its purported division into smaller plots and subsequent sale.
The Supreme Court had initially protected Roy from arrest on August 6, while directing him to cooperate fully with the investigation and remain available for questioning.
The controversy assumed a significant financial dimension during hearings this week.
Appearing for the West Bengal Government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that investigators had traced cash deposits totalling approximately Rs 15 crore, including around Rs 71 lakh deposited in June alone. The State contended that Roy had been evasive during interrogation and that custodial questioning was necessary to ascertain the source and purpose of the transactions. Mehta described the material uncovered so far as potentially only the “tip of the iceberg”.
Roy disputed the State’s interpretation of the transactions
Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for him, maintained that Roy had cooperated with the investigation and that his questioning had been videographed. He argued that the deposits related to political-party work, including membership fees and collections, and contended that relevant challans had been furnished. The defence also questioned attempts to connect those transactions with the alleged land dealings.
Roy’s lawyers had further submitted during earlier hearings that investigators questioned him extensively about his family and the functioning, recruitment and finances of the Trinamool Congress rather than confining themselves to the alleged land offence. The State, however, maintained that his custodial interrogation remained essential.
The Calcutta High Court had already refused him anticipatory bail on August 3, observing that the allegations in the Salboni land-fraud matter were serious.
The Supreme Court’s refusal to interfere now removes the protection against arrest that Roy had enjoyed since August.
The case is significant not merely because Roy is a close aide to a prominent political leader, but because the investigation has widened from allegations concerning government land to scrutiny of a large financial trail.
The alleged Rs 15-crore transactions, their source and whether they bear any connection to the alleged land-grab conspiracy remain matters for investigation and trial. No finding of guilt has been recorded against Roy at this stage.
With his arrest following the Supreme Court proceedings, the focus will now shift to the CID’s custodial investigation and its effort to establish whether the financial transactions relied upon before the apex court have any demonstrable nexus with the alleged illegal alienation of government land.
