Sumit Roy, personal assistant to Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee, moved the high court on Monday seeking anticipatory bail in an alleged land-scam case after a West Midnapore court issued an arrest warrant against him.

Roy’s counsel, Sabyasachi Banerjee, appealed before the bench of Justice Joy Sengupta, seeking an urgent hearing.

Justice Sengupta allowed the petition to be filed. The matter is expected to be heard later this week.

The nod to file the petition came around the time a team of Enforcement Directorate officers was questioning Abhishek at the central agency’s office in Salt Lake’s CGO Complex in connection with alleged irregularities in appointments in state-aided schools.

Sources in the West Midnapore police said a prayer for an arrest warrant against Roy was made before the court on Sunday after a team from Salboni police station failed to trace him on Saturday morning. An hour-long search operation at Abhishek’s residence had proved futile.

“After the court’s clearance, the arrest warrant against Roy was issued on Monday. We have been looking for him for some time now. The search will be intensified after the warrant has been formally issued,” Papiya Sultana, superintendent of West Midnapore police, told Metro.

Senior police officers said a lookout notice would be issued against Roy if efforts to trace him remain unsuccessful after the warrant.

Police sources said Roy’s name surfaced during the interrogation of former Trinamool MLA Sujoy Hazra while he was in police custody following his arrest earlier this month.

Hazra was arrested on charges of allegedly selling large tracts of government land in Salboni using fabricated land deeds.

A complaint alleging forgery and extortion by Hazra was recently lodged with Salboni police station, prompting an investigation.

Sources said the probe revealed an alleged financial transaction of nearly ₹1 crore between Hazra and Roy. Investigators subsequently sought to question Roy in connection with the transaction.

District police sources said details of the alleged land scam emerged during Hazra’s questioning.

“The transaction was close to ₹1 crore. The team that went to Abhishek’s house on Saturday wanted to question Roy about the alleged financial transaction. By evading questioning, he now has an arrest warrant against him,” a senior West Midnapore police officer said.