Abhishek Banerjee aide Sumit Roy seeks Calcutta HC relief in 4 new FIRs
Synopsis
Sumit Roy — already shielded by the Supreme Court and Calcutta High Court in two separate cases — has now sought protection in four more FIRs, days after two consecutive rounds of CID grilling. The move reveals a pattern: each new case is being contested judicially before investigators can make an arrest, effectively slowing the probe into one of TMC's most closely watched legal tangles.
Key Takeaways
Sumit Roy , aide of Abhishek Banerjee (TMC), approached the Calcutta High Court on 10 August for protection from arrest in 4 new FIRs .
Roy already holds interim protection in 2 earlier cases — one from the Supreme Court (land-grabbing) and one from the Calcutta High Court (cash-for-jobs).
He was questioned by the CID for two consecutive days (Saturday and Sunday) before filing Monday's petition.
Roy had been absconding for an extended period; a local court had issued an arrest warrant and CID had issued a lookout notice .
Police had searched Abhishek Banerjee 's Kalighat residence and Roy's in-laws' home in Serampore in June without locating him.
Roy first appeared before CID on 8 August — only after the Supreme Court granted him protection.
Sumit Roy, a close aide of Trinamool Congress (TMC) general secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee, on Monday, 10 August approached a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court seeking interim protection from coercive police action — including arrest — in connection with four fresh FIRs registered against him by the West Bengal Police. The petition was filed before Justice Sougata Bhattacharya, with Roy also requesting an urgent hearing, likely to be scheduled within the week.
Roy's Existing Legal Protections
Roy is not without precedent in seeking such relief. He already holds interim protection from coercive police action in two separate cases. In an illegal land-grabbing matter, a division bench of the Supreme Court granted him protection. In a cash-for-jobs case, a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court extended similar relief. Roy has now argued before the court that since he has been fully cooperating with investigators, he deserves equivalent protection in the four additional FIRs as well.
Two Days of CID Questioning
The immediate trigger for Monday's petition was Roy's apprehension of arrest following two consecutive days of questioning by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the West Bengal Police — on Saturday and Sunday. He had been scheduled to appear again at the CID office on Monday. Fearing that investigators could detain him in connection with the new cases during that appearance, he moved the High Court preemptively.
A Long Period of Abscondence
Roy's legal journey has been marked by a prolonged period of evasion. Before the Supreme Court granted him interim protection in the land-grabbing case, Roy had been untraceable at his known addresses for an extended period. A local court had issued an arrest warrant against him, and the CID had issued a lookout notice. In June, police teams conducted searches at Abhishek Banerjee's residence in Kalighat, Kolkata, and at Roy's in-laws' home in Serampore — but he was found at neither location.
First CID Appearance After Supreme Court Relief
It was only after securing Supreme Court protection that Roy surfaced and appeared before the CID for the first time on 8 August in connection with the land-grabbing case. His Monday petition signals that he intends to contest each set of FIRs through the courts rather than face the risk of custodial interrogation. The outcome of the High Court's hearing this week is expected to determine whether investigators can proceed with any arrest in the four new cases.
Point of View
High Court for another, and now a fresh petition for four more — reveals a litigation-first strategy that is, in effect, a race against the CID clock. Each interim order buys time and constrains investigators. The deeper question is what the four new FIRs allege, and whether the pattern of abscondence followed by judicial protection will continue to insulate him from custodial questioning. For West Bengal's opposition and civil society, the case is becoming a litmus test of whether the state's investigative machinery can function when political adjacency is a factor.
NationPress
10 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Sumit Roy approach the Calcutta High Court on 10 August?
Sumit Roy moved the Calcutta High Court seeking interim protection from arrest in four new FIRs registered by the West Bengal Police. He feared that the CID, which had questioned him for two consecutive days, could detain him when he appeared at their office on Monday.
What cases is Sumit Roy already protected in?
Roy holds interim protection in two earlier cases — the Supreme Court granted relief in an illegal land-grabbing FIR, while the Calcutta High Court extended protection in a cash-for-jobs FIR. He is now seeking similar cover in four additional FIRs.
Who is Sumit Roy and what is his connection to Abhishek Banerjee?
Sumit Roy is a close aide of Abhishek Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress general secretary and Lok Sabha member. Roy has been under investigation by the West Bengal Police's CID across multiple cases.
Why was Roy absconding before approaching the Supreme Court?
Roy could not be traced at his known addresses for an extended period, prompting a local court to issue an arrest warrant and the CID to issue a lookout notice. Police searched Abhishek Banerjee's Kalighat residence and Roy's in-laws' Serampore home in June but did not find him.
When did Roy first appear before the CID?
Roy appeared before the CID for the first time on 8 August, in connection with the land-grabbing case — only after the Supreme Court granted him interim protection from coercive police action.
