Kolkata: Sumit Roy, a close aide of Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee, was questioned for nearly 10 hours by the West Bengal CID on Saturday in connection with an alleged government land fraud case in Paschim Medinipur district, officials said.
Roy reached the CID headquarters at Bhawani Bhawan in the morning to join the investigation and remained there throughout the day. He left the agency’s office at around 8.20 pm.
“Our officers questioned him for hours. The investigation is at a very preliminary stage and nothing could be disclosed right now,” an official told PTI.
The official said the agency would decide whether Roy needed to appear for questioning again based on the requirements of the case.
A senior CID officer had earlier said investigators were scrutinising the allegations against Roy and examining documentary evidence related to the complaint.
“We are looking into the contents of the complaint and collecting all relevant documents. Every allegation will be verified based on evidence, and appropriate legal action will follow,” the officer had said.
The Supreme Court has granted Roy interim protection from arrest until August 14, provided he cooperates with the investigation. The court directed him to remain available to the investigators between 10 am and 6 pm whenever required.
It also ordered that Roy should not be accompanied by a lawyer or any other person during his questioning.
The CID had been searching for Roy following the arrest of former TMC MLA Sujoy Hazra in connection with the alleged land fraud in Salboni.
Roy had initially moved the courts seeking anticipatory bail. The Calcutta High Court granted him relief in a separate case involving allegations of a job-for-money racket but rejected his anticipatory bail plea in the Salboni land case. He subsequently approached the Supreme Court.
In June, police searched the residence of Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee while attempting to trace Roy, but he was not found there.
Roy is also an accused in another case registered at the Debra police station in connection with allegations that he accepted money on the promise of arranging jobs.