Kolkata: Trinamool Congress general secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee Monday served a legal notice to West Bengal Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister Agnimitra Paul, accusing her of making inappropriate statements to media persons about the Diamond Harbour MP concerning his personal assistant, Sumit Roy.
As per the notice, Paul, a fashion designer‑turned‑politician, reportedly commented that Abhishek’s attempts to save Sumit were linked to his approaching the Supreme Court to go abroad for medical treatment.
On Monday, a division bench of the Supreme Court permitted Abhishek, nephew of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, to travel abroad for ophthalmic treatment.
At the same time, Sumit, who was earlier absconding, appeared at the office of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the West Bengal Police for the third consecutive day to face interrogation in relation to an FIR registered against him in an illegal land‑grabbing case.
In the legal notice served by Abhishek’s counsel Arka Kumar Nag, Paul was accused of falsely quoting Abhishek as saying that Sumit might have died.
“My client reiterates and places on record that he has never made the statement attributed to him by you. My client has never stated that Shri Sumit Ray has died and has never made any statement establishing or suggesting the purported connection referred to by you between Shri Sumit Ray. My client is approaching the Hon’ble Supreme Court for medical treatment abroad. Your statement is therefore wholly contrary to the factual position and is based upon information which my client never stated,” the notice read.
Paul was asked to withdraw the statement and issue a clear, unequivocal clarification recording the correct factual position, particularly that Abhishek had never made the statement attributed to him that Sumit Ray had died.
“The said clarification ought to be made in the same public domain in which your statement dated August 9, 2026 was made, so that the correct factual position is brought to the notice of all concerned and the incorrect information publicly stated by you is duly corrected,” the notice stated.
“You are further called upon to ensure that, henceforth, all information concerning my client placed before you by your officers or Department is properly verified and factually accurate before the same is publicly stated or disseminated by you. You must be properly and accurately informed, so that you are not deliberately kept ill‑informed and publicly mocked or ridiculed as an ill‑informed Minister of the State of West Bengal,” it added.
