The Supreme Court on Monday (August 31, 2026) said probe agencies drag their feet when it comes to investigating or interrogating persons in authority, but do not bat an eyelid in cases dealing with ordinary persons.
Roy in connection with the alleged government land fraud case being investigated by the Salboni Police. On August 3, the High Court rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Mr.
Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for Mr.
Roy, said his questioning by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) was mostly about his family and the political party’s activities.
Roy, pointing out that approximately ₹30 crore was transferred to Leaps and Bounds Private Limited, a company linked to Mr. The observations were made by a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant while hearing a petition filed by Sumit Roy, the personal assistant to Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, in connection with the Salboni land-grabbing case. In the previous hearing, the Supreme Court stayed the arrest of Mr. Roy, directing him to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation. He strongly argued for custodial interrogation of Mr. Banerjee, who is the nephew of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The company is under ED investigation for alleged financial irregularities. “In the ordinary prism of criminal investigation, you do not bat an eyelid to pass appropriate directions to enable the investigating agencies. But an additional layer comes in when agencies investigate authorities in respect of overlapping proceeds of crime investigations.
Justice Bagchi said judges of the Calcutta High Court had expressed considerable “despair” at the slow pace of investigation and the lack of intensity in the interrogation of persons involved in the Leaps and Bounds case. They drag their feet on custodial investigation at certain times, and activate themselves at other times,” Justice Bagchi said.
