SC to Hear PA's Bail Plea as Bengal Seeks Custodial Interrogation in Land Case

The West Bengal government on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that custodial interrogation of Sumit Roy, personal secretary to Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee, is necessary in the Salboni land grab case, citing his alleged evasiveness and large cash deposits.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state, submitted before a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana that Roy had been uncooperative during the investigation. He said transcripts of the probe have been placed on record, showing Roy's evasive responses.

Mehta argued that the investigation revealed Roy deposited around ₹15 crore in cash in his bank account, including a specific deposit of ₹71 lakh. "This may only be the tip of the iceberg," he said, adding that a person serving as a personal assistant should not be depositing such large sums in his own name.

The court is hearing Roy's plea against an August 3 Calcutta High Court order that denied him anticipatory bail. The case involves allegations of cheating, criminal breach of trust, forgery, and criminal conspiracy related to land fraud in Salboni.

Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for Roy, noted that a chargesheet had been filed in the matter, as per media reports. Mehta clarified that the chargesheet was filed against another accused, with a stipulation that the investigation concerning Roy is ongoing.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had extended Roy's interim protection from arrest and directed the probe agency to produce records related to the alleged bank transactions. On September 7, the court allowed the state to file a detailed investigation report in a sealed cover.

Sankaranarayanan had previously argued that Roy's interrogation was videographed and that he answered all questions, contrary to claims that he remained silent. He alleged that investigators focused on Roy's family and the functioning, recruitment, and funding of the Trinamool Congress rather than the alleged offence.

The bench asked Mehta to provide a copy of the report to Roy's counsel and scheduled the next hearing for Thursday.