High drama unfolded in West Bengal's South Dinajpur district on Thursday night after BJP workers and local residents stopped a Kolkata-bound bus over suspicion that Sumit Roy, the absconding personal assistant of Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee, was attempting to flee the district.
Roy, who is wanted in connection with alleged corruption charges, has been missing for several days. Police have already issued a lookout circular against him.
The incident took place around 8.45 pm near Chowpathi in Gangarampur, where a group of BJP leaders and residents intercepted a bus travelling from Balurghat to Kolkata following rumours that Roy was among the passengers.
Several people boarded the vehicle and identified one of the passengers as the absconding aide, prompting police to rush to the spot. A team from Gangarampur Police Station, led by the Inspector-in-Charge, conducted a detailed identity verification as a crowd gathered outside the bus.
After questioning the passenger, officers established that he was Shariful Alam, a police personnel posted with the Intelligence Branch (IB) in South Dinajpur. Alam had previously served as a Police Security Officer (PSO) assigned to Abhishek Banerjee.
With his identity confirmed, police ruled out any connection to the ongoing search for Roy and allowed the bus to resume its journey after a delay of nearly an hour.
The episode caused anxiety among passengers, many of whom were caught off guard as police officers and members of the public entered the bus during the verification process.
Brindaban Ghosh, president of the BJP's Gangarampur town committee, said local residents acted on information suggesting Roy was travelling on the bus.
"People suspected that Abhishek Banerjee's close aide, Sumit Roy, was travelling on the bus and stopped the vehicle. After learning about the incident, we informed the police. During verification, it became clear that the individual was not Roy but a former police security officer who had once been deployed with Abhishek. Once the misunderstanding was cleared, the police allowed the bus to proceed," Ghosh said.
Police sources said Alam was travelling to Kolkata for official or personal work and that no action was taken after his identity was verified.
"No further action was taken after his identity was confirmed," a police officer said.
The search for Sumit Roy continues. About two weeks ago, a police team from Salboni in West Midnapore searched Abhishek Banerjee's three-storey Kolkata residence as part of an investigation into an alleged land fraud case in which Roy is accused. Authorities have so far not been able to trace his whereabouts.
