Supreme Court declines pre-arrest relief to Abhishek Banerjee’s PA

The Supreme Court of India, in a three‑judge bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, refused to grant anticipatory bail to Sumit Roy, who serves as the personal assistant to Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee. The decision, delivered on Thursday, September 10, 2026, upheld the Calcutta High Court’s August order that denied pre‑arrest relief in the Salboni land‑grab case.

The case is being investigated under multiple penal provisions, including cheating, criminal breach of trust, forgery, use of forged documents and criminal conspiracy. West Bengal’s Solicitor General Tushar Mehta contended that Roy’s evasive answers necessitated custodial interrogation, noting that approximately ₹15 crore had been deposited by Roy through several transactions. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing Roy, argued that no concrete evidence linked his client to the alleged wrongdoing, highlighting that Roy had already spent about 88 hours in questioning without being presented with documents or witnesses directly implicating him.

The Salboni land‑grab probe centers on alleged irregularities involving TMC officials and large financial transfers, with Abhishek Banerjee’s close aide caught in the cross‑hairs. While other accused have denied Roy’s involvement, the court’s refusal to grant bail signals that the investigation will proceed, potentially affecting the political landscape in West Bengal and drawing further scrutiny to the party’s financial dealings.