Trinamool Congress general secretary and Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee has alleged that cash worth ₹1,02,79,000 recovered by police from a party office at Sarisha in South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, was deliberately planted by the police administration. The allegation, made in a social media post late Wednesday night, directly contradicts the police's account of how the money was found.

What the Police Claimed

The Diamond Harbour Police had stated that information about the large cash stash at the Sarisha party office emerged during the interrogation of Sumit Roy, described as an aide of Abhishek Banerjee, who is currently in police custody in connection with a multi-crore soil-theft case registered at Kalitala-Ashuti Police Station under the same police district. The police also confirmed that the office where the cash was recovered belonged to the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC), though they did not clarify who was responsible for running it.

Banerjee's Rebuttal and Warning

Banerjee rejected the police's version entirely, asserting that the property in question had been vandalised by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-backed individuals approximately six months earlier and had since been under police investigation as a scene of crime. 'The deliberate planting of fake and fabricated evidence at a property vandalised six months ago by BJP goons, which subsequently became a scene of crime under police investigation, is a brazen attempt to subvert justice, manipulate the investigation and misuse the machinery of law,' Banerjee said in his post.

The Diamond Harbour MP went further, issuing a pointed warning to those he held responsible. 'Let this be an unequivocal warning to those orchestrating this sinister conspiracy and those acting at their behest: You will be held personally accountable for every act of fabrication, manipulation and abuse of authority,' he wrote. He also cautioned the police administration against assuming that political patronage or official rank would shield anyone from prosecution, adding: 'The law will catch up with every individual involved, regardless of rank, position or political affiliation.'

What Remains Unclear

As of now, the source of the ₹1,02,79,000 remains unestablished. Police have not explained why such a large sum was present at the party office, and their initial probe reportedly links the cash to the soil-theft case at Kalitala-Ashuti. Investigators are said to be gathering further information on the money's origins.

Political and Legal Context

This comes amid an already fraught political climate in West Bengal, where the TMC and BJP have been locked in a prolonged confrontation over law enforcement, electoral violence, and alleged misuse of investigative agencies. The timing — with the cash seizure surfacing through a custody interrogation — adds another layer of contestation to a case that now has both criminal and political dimensions. Sumit Roy remains in custody, and the soil-theft investigation at Kalitala-Ashuti continues. The next developments in the case are likely to hinge on whether police can establish a verifiable chain of custody for the recovered cash.