A district court in West Midnapore, West Bengal, on Monday, 15 June, issued an arrest warrant against Sumit Roy, the executive assistant of All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee. Roy, who is currently absconding, is wanted in connection with an illegal land-grabbing case registered at Salboni Police Station under the West Midnapore District Police.

Court Order and Police Appeal

The arrest warrant was issued in the morning by the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate at Medinipur, following a formal appeal by the West Midnapore District Police. An FIR had been lodged against Roy at Salboni Police Station in relation to the alleged illegal land-grabbing, prompting authorities to intensify their search for the absconding aide.

Raid at Abhishek Banerjee's Kalighat Residence

In the early hours of Sunday morning, a joint team comprising personnel from Salboni Police Station, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), and Kolkata Police conducted a prolonged raid and search operation at Abhishek Banerjee's residence on Kalighat Road in South Kolkata. According to police sources, the search was based on the last recorded tower location of Roy's mobile phone, which placed the device at Banerjee's residence until approximately 2:30 am — roughly 30 minutes before the team arrived at the gate.

On being denied entry, the security forces, with the assistance of State Disaster Management personnel, broke the lock at the entrance gate of the residence. A three-hour search operation was subsequently carried out inside the premises. Roy was not found at the location.

Mobile Tower Data as Key Evidence

State police sources indicated that the decision to travel to Kolkata was triggered after tower location data showed Roy's mobile phone active at Banerjee's Kalighat Road address. The signal reportedly persisted at the same location until 2:30 am on Sunday, lending weight to the police's contention that Roy may have been present at the premises shortly before the raid. Notably, mobile tower location data places a device within a cell radius and does not confirm physical presence with certainty.

Abhishek Banerjee at ED Office During Warrant Issuance

At the time the district court issued the arrest warrant on Monday afternoon, Abhishek Banerjee was at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in the northern outskirts of Kolkata, facing interrogation in connection with the multi-crore cash-for-school-job case. The simultaneous developments — the arrest warrant for his aide and his own ED appearance — mark a significant escalation of legal pressure on Banerjee's immediate circle.

What Happens Next

With the arrest warrant now in force, law enforcement agencies are expected to intensify efforts to trace and apprehend Sumit Roy. The land-grabbing case at Salboni and the broader cash-for-school-job investigation in which Banerjee is being questioned represent two separate but politically significant legal fronts. The developments are likely to intensify scrutiny of the TMC leadership ahead of upcoming political cycles in West Bengal.