The West Bengal CID on Thursday arrested TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee's aide Sumit Roy from a building in south Kolkata's Kalighat area, soon after the Supreme Court refused his anticipatory bail plea in a case involving alleged illegal sale of government land in Salboni.
Roy was taken into custody from 121 Kalighat Road, described by state authorities as a Trinamool Congress office-cum-residence of Banerjee.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, who also holds the Home portfolio, announced the arrest in the state assembly, describing Roy as a "well-known extortionist".
CID officials first took Roy to the state-run SSKM Hospital for a medical examination and later brought him to the CID headquarters at Bhabani Bhawan, officials said.
Arrest follows Supreme Court order
The arrest came shortly after the Supreme Court refused Roy's anticipatory bail plea and vacated its August 6 order staying his arrest.
The top court had earlier directed Roy to cooperate with the investigation. The state government, however, alleged that he had not adequately assisted investigators.
The case has acquired a political edge because of Roy's association with Banerjee, the TMC national general secretary and nephew of party supremo Mamata Banerjee. The TMC MP is currently abroad for medical treatment.
CID reaches Kalighat premises after verdict
According to sources, the CID officers personnel reached Banerjee’s Kalighat residence after the apex court order, and entered the building amid an altercation with security personnel.
Roy was summoned by the CID several times in the past in connection with the Salboni land case, after the Supreme Court's earlier order granting him protection from arrest.
State raises questions over bank transactions
During the hearing, the state government alleged that around Rs 71 lakh had been deposited into Roy's bank account in June, and that transactions totalling around Rs 15 crore passed through his account. Investigators have questioned the source of the funds, according to the state's submissions before the court.
The case stems from allegations that government land in Salboni in West Midnapore was illegally converted and sold using forged documents. Police had earlier arrested former TMC MLA Sujoy Hazra in connection with the case.
Investigators subsequently traced financial transactions allegedly linked to the case to Roy, following Hazra's interrogation, the sources said.
Roy had moved courts for anticipatory bail
Roy had earlier approached the Calcutta High Court for anticipatory bail, but his plea was rejected, following which he moved the Supreme Court.
The arrest also comes months after police searched the Kalighat premises in June while looking for Roy in connection with the land case. The search had triggered a political confrontation between the ruling establishment and the opposition over the manner in which the probe was being conducted.
The CID is likely to produce Roy before a local court on Friday and seek his custody for further questioning, the officials said.