Bengal: Police serve notice to Sumit Roy's mother in resort fraud case
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
West Bengal Police on Wednesday, 29 July served a notice to the mother of Sumit Roy, executive assistant to All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee, directing him to appear before investigators in a fresh case registered at Bishnupur Police Station in South 24 Parganas district. Roy, already facing multiple FIRs across two districts, is now accused of defaulting on payment to a resort owner after renting the premises to run a medical camp.
What the New Case Alleges
According to police, a resort owner filed a complaint at Bishnupur Police Station alleging that Sumit Roy had rented his property to organise a medical camp but never paid the agreed amount. Acting on the complaint, officers from both Bishnupur and Behala police stations conducted a raid at Roy's residence in New Alipore, Kolkata. Police personnel reportedly waited outside the premises for nearly ten minutes before Roy's mother opened the door and received the notice. When asked by journalists about her son's whereabouts, she said she could not say where he was, but expressed hope that the matter would be resolved quickly.
The Broader Case Against Sumit Roy
The resort fraud notice is only the latest development in a widening web of allegations against Roy. He is separately accused of using forged documents to sell more than 50 acres of government land in the Salboni area under Salbani Police Station in West Midnapore district through brokers, with investigators alleging the proceeds were channelled to him directly. His name has also surfaced in connection with alleged job-for-cash fraud in the Debra Police Station area of the same district, where multiple individuals reportedly paid money in exchange for employment promises that were never fulfilled.
During the investigation, police have reportedly recovered several fake stamps, adding weight to the document-forgery charges. Multiple FIRs have been registered against him across jurisdictions, and a lookout notice has been issued in his name.
Searches Extend to Abhishek Banerjee's Residence
The scale of the investigation has drawn attention to Abhishek Banerjee himself, though he has not been named as an accused. In an unusual step, investigators conducted a search at Banerjee's residence in the Kalighat area of south Kolkata as part of the ongoing probe. The TMC MP is a senior party figure and has not publicly commented on the searches at his home in connection with his aide's cases.
High Court Rejects Roy's Protection Plea
Facing imminent arrest, Sumit Roy had approached the Calcutta High Court seeking anticipatory protection. The court rejected his application, leaving him without legal cover against arrest. He has remained untraceable since, with police conducting searches across multiple locations in Kolkata and beyond.
The case is being closely watched given Roy's proximity to a senior TMC leader, and investigators are expected to intensify their search efforts following the High Court's refusal to grant him relief.