The Supreme Court on Thursday (6 August) granted interim protection from arrest to Sumit Roy, personal assistant to Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee, in connection with the alleged Salboni land-grabbing case. While staying his arrest, the Court made it clear that Roy must fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation and remain available for questioning as directed by the investigating agency.
Background of the Case
The matter arises from an investigation into the alleged illegal grabbing and fraudulent transfer of government land in Salboni, located in West Bengal's Paschim Medinipur district. Roy has been named as an accused in the case.
Earlier, a Midnapore court issued an arrest warrant after investigators informed the court that repeated attempts to trace and arrest him had failed. His plea for anticipatory bail was later rejected by the Calcutta High Court, which observed that custodial interrogation could not be ruled out at that stage of the investigation. Roy then approached the Supreme Court seeking relief.
Supreme Court's Observation
The matter was heard by a Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V. Mohan.
Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for Roy, assured the Court that his client was willing to cooperate with the investigation. Opposing the plea, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the State of West Bengal, argued that custodial interrogation remained necessary.
Questioning the State's insistence on arrest despite the petitioner's assurance, the Bench remarked that cooperation with the investigation should continue.
During the hearing, the Chief Justice observed,
"I hope you are not saying the police is the problem."
Court's Decision
Passing an interim order, the Supreme Court directed that Roy must appear before investigators, remain available for questioning between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. with usual breaks, and must not be accompanied by an advocate or any other person during interrogation.
The Bench ordered,
"The petitioner shall fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation... However, his arrest will remain stayed."
Case Details
Case Title: Sumit Roy v. State of West Bengal
Case Number: Diary No. 46817/2026
Judge: Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, Justice V. Mohan
Decision Date: August 6, 2026
