Bengal land scam: Third accused arrested, links to Abhishek Banerjee aide emerge
Synopsis
The West Bengal CID's Salboni land-scam net is widening fast. With the third arrest now made and the accused directly linked to the personal assistant of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, the case has moved from a district land dispute into politically charged territory — and two more accused are racing to Calcutta High Court for cover.
Key Takeaways
Amit Ghosh , a resident of Saidpur village in West Midnapore , was arrested on Monday, 14 September 2026 — the third arrest in the Salboni land-grabbing case.
Ghosh is the sixth accused named in the charge sheet and is allegedly linked to former TMC legislator Sujoy Hazra and Sumit Roy , personal assistant to MP Abhishek Banerjee .
Investigators allege forged documents were used to illegally transfer more than 50 acres of government-vested land in Salboni, West Midnapore .
Sumit Roy was arrested on 10 September after the Calcutta High Court lifted his interim protection; he is in eight days of CID custody.
Accused Kailash Agrawal and Sarfuddin Khan have moved the Calcutta High Court for anticipatory bail.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal Police on Monday, 14 September 2026, arrested a third accused in the multi-crore illegal land-grabbing case in Salboni, West Midnapore district, taking the total arrests in the case to three. The probe centres on the alleged illegal transfer and sale of government-vested land, and has now drawn in associates of a senior aide to All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee.
Who Was Arrested
The latest person taken into custody is Amit Ghosh, a resident of Saidpur village in West Midnapore. According to investigators, Ghosh was a close associate of former Trinamool Congress legislator Sujoy Hazra and Sumit Roy, personal assistant to Abhishek Banerjee. Both Hazra and Roy had been arrested earlier in the investigation.
A team of CID officers travelled to Medinipur on Monday and, with assistance from the district police, took Ghosh into custody. West Midnapore Superintendent of Police Papia Sultana confirmed the arrest, saying: 'The CID officers gave us a requisition. Based on that, Amit Ghosh was arrested and handed over to the CID.'
Role in the Alleged Scam
Investigators allege that forged documents were used to illegally transfer and sell more than 50 acres of government-vested land. Ghosh has been named as the sixth accused in the charge sheet filed before a district court in West Midnapore, and is believed by investigators to possess crucial information about the alleged modus operandi of the operation.
This is the third arrest in a case that critics argue exposes a systematic nexus between political networks and land administration machinery in West Bengal.
Court Developments
Two other accused named in the charge sheet — Kailash Agrawal and Sarfuddin Khan — have reportedly approached the Calcutta High Court seeking anticipatory bail. According to investigators, both are accused of collaborating with officials of the Block Land and Land Reforms Office (BLRO) to convert government-vested land into private property, allegedly at the behest of Hazra and Roy.
Sumit Roy was arrested by the CID on 10 September, shortly after a division bench of the Calcutta High Court vacated the interim protection from coercive action previously granted to him. He was produced before a district court in West Midnapore the following day and remanded to eight days of CID custody.
Background and What Comes Next
The Salboni land scam case has put the spotlight on alleged links between political power brokers and the manipulation of land records in rural West Bengal. Notably, the connection to Sumit Roy — personal assistant to Abhishek Banerjee — has added a politically sensitive dimension to what began as a district-level land dispute.
With Agrawal and Khan's anticipatory bail plea pending in the Calcutta High Court, and Amit Ghosh now in CID custody, investigators are expected to interrogate him extensively about the alleged document forgery network. The outcome of the bail hearing will determine whether the CID can move to arrest additional accused named in the charge sheet.
Point of View
Personal assistant to Abhishek Banerjee, transformed this from a district-level irregularity into a test of how far state investigative machinery will go. The rush by two accused to seek anticipatory bail from the Calcutta High Court suggests they expect further arrests, and the Court's response will signal whether judicial cover remains accessible. With forged documents allegedly used on more than 50 acres of vested land, the deeper question is institutional: how many BLRO officials were complicit, and will the CID pursue them with the same vigour it has shown toward the political associates?
NationPress
14 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Salboni land scam in West Bengal?
The Salboni land scam involves the alleged illegal transfer and sale of more than 50 acres of government-vested land in Salboni, West Midnapore district, using forged documents. The West Bengal CID is investigating the case, which has so far resulted in three arrests.
Who is Sumit Roy and why is his arrest significant?
Sumit Roy is the personal assistant to Trinamool Congress national general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee. His arrest on 10 September, after the Calcutta High Court vacated his interim protection, brought the case into direct political focus, given his proximity to a senior TMC leader.
What is Amit Ghosh's alleged role in the case?
Amit Ghosh, arrested on Monday, is named as the sixth accused in the charge sheet filed in the Salboni land scam. Investigators believe he was closely associated with former TMC legislator Sujoy Hazra and Sumit Roy, and played a significant role in the alleged document forgery operation.
What action have Kailash Agrawal and Sarfuddin Khan taken?
Kailash Agrawal and Sarfuddin Khan, both named in the charge sheet, have approached the Calcutta High Court seeking anticipatory bail. They are accused of working with Block Land and Land Reforms Office officials to convert government-vested land into private property.
How many people have been arrested in the case so far?
As of 14 September 2026, three people have been arrested: former TMC legislator Sujoy Hazra, Sumit Roy (personal assistant to Abhishek Banerjee), and Amit Ghosh. The charge sheet names at least six accused in total.
