Kolkata, Sep 5 (IANS) Sumit Roy, personal assistant to Trinamool Congress General Secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee, has been summoned again by Kolkata Police for questioning in connection with FIRs registered over the August 27 clash surrounding the removal of an allegedly illegal billboard from the party office on Camac Street in central Kolkata.

A team of cops from the local Shakespeare Sarani Police Station arrived at Sumit’s residence on Saturday afternoon and handed him a fresh notice for interrogation. Sumit Roy had been asked to be present at the Shakespeare Sarani Police Station by 12 noon on September 7.

This is the second time that Sumit Roy will be questioned in the matter. Earlier, on September 2, he arrived at the same police station and faced a marathon interrogation.

Earlier this week, Abhishek Banerjee, also the nephew of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress’s Rajya Sabha member, Derek O’Brien, had also been questioned over the billboard row at the Shakespeare Sarani Police Station.

According to police sources, three FIRs were registered over the incident, one based on a complaint by an officer of Shakespeare Sarani Police Station, another by an officer of neighbouring Park Street Police Station, and the third by a Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) official.

“Earlier this week, Roy was questioned in connection with the FIR lodged on the complaint of a Shakespeare Sarani Police Station officer. On September 7, he will be questioned in relation to the FIR based on the complaint filed by the KMC official,” a city police officer said.

The development comes a day after the West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services Department directed the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress’ “original but minority” faction to vacate its Camac Street office immediately after identifying inadequate fire-safety measures at the premises. The department ordered the evacuation of the building’s seventh and eighth floors and informed the owner accordingly.

Tension erupted on August 27 when KMC personnel, accompanied by police, arrived at the Camac Street office to remove the billboard. They allegedly faced resistance from Trinamool activists led by Abhishek Banerjee, Derek O’Brien and other party leaders, leading to scuffles between protesters and police personnel.

In the FIRs registered at Shakespeare Sarani Police Station, police accused Trinamool activists of assaulting on-duty officers and attempting to outrage the modesty of a woman police officer. In two of the three FIRs, Abhishek Banerjee, Derek O’Brien, Humayun Kabir and Baishwanar Chatterjee have been named as accused. Police have arrested 14 people in connection with the case so far.

–IANS

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