Latest news with #KunalVerma
Indian Express
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Parag Tyagi's heartfelt tribute to Shefali Jariwala includes unseen photos
"Kaanta Laga" fame actor Shefali Jariwala's sudden demise left her family, friends, and fans in shock. Written by 2 / 8 3 / 8 Parag wrote, "Pari, I will find you every time you are born, and I will love you in every lifetime. I love you eternally, meri gundi, meri chokri…" (Photo: Parag Tyagi/Instagram) 4 / 8 Recently, photographer Kunal Verma also shared some clicks from a photoshoot, which he did with Shefali Jariwala just a few days before her demise. (Photo: Kunal Verma/Instagram) 5 / 8 Sharing the pictures, the photographer wrote, "This is one of the posts I had planned to share next. I've always been quite bad at keeping up with Instagram and kept delaying posting pictures." (Photo: Kunal Verma/Instagram) 6 / 8 8 / 8 On the night of June 27, Shefali Jariwala was found unconscious at home by her husband, Parag Tyagi. She was rushed to the hospital, where she was declared dead. (Photo: Kunal Verma/Instagram)
Indian Express
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Puja Banerjee breaks silence on kidnapping and extortion allegations: ‘God is watching'
Days after an FIR was filed against her and husband Kunal Verma, actress Puja Banerjee has broken her silence for the first time. Taking to social media, she expressed heartbreak over the allegations, calling them baseless and false. In a heartfelt Instagram post, Puja wrote, 'Going through the toughest time of our lives. To those who are standing by us — we will be forever grateful. And to those who believe in the lies being spread against us, God bless them too. I believe in God, and you know — GOD IS WATCHING.' Earlier this month, Bengali film producer Shyam Sunder Dey accused Puja Banerjee and Kunal Verma of kidnapping him in Goa and extorting Rs 23 lakh. According to Dey, Puja was like a sister to him, which made the alleged threats for money even more shocking. He further claimed that Kunal, along with a group of men, physically assaulted him in Puja's presence and confiscated his phone. A separate phone was allegedly kept with him solely for the purpose of transferring the extorted amount. Dey said he was rescued on June 4, after his wife Malabika Dey alerted the police. He had managed to use the spare phone to send his live location and a video he secretly recorded in a bathroom to help authorities trace him. Following the complaint, an FIR was filed against Puja Banerjee and Kunal Verma under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) — the new criminal code replacing the IPC. The couple has been charged under provisions related to abduction, extortion, criminal intimidation, and wrongful confinement. ALSO READ | Kannappa box office collection day 1 early report: Vishnu Manchu's dream project scores career-high opening Interestingly, these accusations surfaced just days after Puja Banerjee and Kunal Verma revealed that they had lost all their savings due to a financial fraud involving a close friend. While the couple did not name anyone at the time, speculation around the connection between the two events quickly grew. Soon after, Shyam Sunder Dey's wife Malabika Dey took to Facebook, publicly sharing disturbing details of what she described as a 'betrayal and a breach of trust' by close friends. Her post read: 'This incident is not just a serious crime; it is a betrayal and a breach of trust toward a friend. In addition to the physical and mental abuse on Shyam, our entire family is suffering immense emotional trauma. We are following legal recourse and have complete faith in the judicial system. I urge all members of the creative community to remain vigilant.' She further alleged that Shyam was threatened with being falsely implicated in a drug case if he failed to pay an additional Rs 64 lakh.
NDTV
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Puja Banerjee And Kunal Verma Accused Of Abduction And Extortion By A Producer's Wife After Losing Money In A Scam
TV couple Kunal Verma and Puja Banerjee, who had claimed to lose their life-long savings in a scam last week, have been accused of kidnapping a Bengali film producer in Goa and extorting money from him. The couple, allegedly, attempted to take over his properties. The Goa Police filed an FIR under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against Puja Banerjee, Kunal Verma, and their associate Piyush Kothari. The charges listed-Sections 126(2), 137(2), 140(2), 308(2), 115(2), 351(3), 61(2), and 3(5)-cover serious offenses such as abduction, unlawful confinement, extortion, criminal threats, and conspiracy. The incident comes to light after the producer's wife shared a detailed post on Facebook (June 14), alleging the couple of using coercive methods to extract money from her husband. Malabika Dey, the wife of producer Shyam Sunder Dey, attached Whatsapp screenshots, payment receipts and FIR documents to her post. What's Happening Popular television couple Kunal Verma and Puja Banerjee have been accused of kidnapping Bengali film producer Shyam Sunder Dey in Goa. The couple, allegedly, extorted money from the producer and attempted to take over his properties. The producer's wife shared a post on Facebook, alleging the couple of abduction and extortion. Malabika Dey also attached Whatsapp screenshots, payment receipts and FIR documents to her Facebook post. Malabika Dey wrote, "My husband was kidnapped, held against his will, threatened, and physically assaulted by Puja Banerjee, Kunal Verma, and their influential associate Piyush Kothari over several days as part of an extortion attempt. "While on a business trip in Goa, my husband drove a rented car when Puja and others intercepted him and forcibly took him to an undisclosed location." "In Goa, my husband was subjected to mental torture, and they demanded Rs 64 lakh from him. They threatened to falsely accuse him of a drug case if he didn't fulfil their demand. Shyam paid Rs 23 lakh . I've saved all the receipts and transaction proofs showing the transfers made to Puja and Kunal's accounts," claimed Malabika. She went on to add, "Shyam's mobile phones were taken by Puja and Kunal, who also forced him to reveal personal details and passwords. They made multiple video recordings, compelling him to speak as instructed. For now, he has been safely recovered with the assistance of the Goa Police, headed by the North Goa Superintendent of Police." Losing Savings In A Scam Last week, in a vlog, the couple revealed that they had lost their savings in a financial scam. Puja didn't reveal the exact amount. "These last two-three months have been extremely difficult for us. We have no idea what will happen next. We have been victims of a financial scam. We lost a big amount. We lost all of our life's savings. We have to start our life from zero but we won't give up. We don't want to give up. In these tough times, all we want is your support and prayers. We have full faith in God," Puja Banerjee said. In A Nutshell A week after losing their life-long savings in a scam, TV couple Kunal Verma and Puja Banerjee have been accused of extortion and abduction of a Bengali film producer in Goa.
Deccan Herald
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Deccan Herald
Puja Banerjee & Kunal Verma accused of abduction, extortion by film producer Shyam Dey's wife Malabika
TV couple Kunal Verma and Puja Banerjee, who made headlines for losing all their savings in a scam, are now facing serious accusations of abduction and extortion. The couple reportedly kidnapped Bengali film producer Shyam Sunder Dey in Goa and extorted money from him, and attempted to take over his incident became public after a social media post by producer Shyam's wife, Malabika Dey, went viral. In the post, she shared FIR documents, payment receipts, and WhatsApp screenshots. The post alleged that Kunal Verma, Puja Banerjee, and their associate Piyush Kothari used coercive methods to extort funds from producer Shyam Sunder Dey by threatening him with false drug her post, Malabika stated, "I'm sharing a painful experience today—something no family should ever endure. On May 31, 2025, my husband, Mr. Shyamsundar Dey, a renowned Bengali film producer with more than 60 films to his credit, was involved in a shocking incident.".She further alleged, "My husband was kidnapped, held against his will, threatened, and physically assaulted by Puja Banerjee, Kunal Verma, and their influential associate Piyush Kothari over several days as part of an extortion attempt. While on a business trip in Goa, my husband drove a rented car when Puja and the others intercepted him and forcibly took him to an undisclosed location.""In Goa, my husband was subjected to mental torture, and they demanded Rs 64 lakh from him. They threatened to falsely accuse him of a drug case if he didn't comply. Terrified, Shyam paid Rs 23 lakh. I've saved all the receipts and transaction proofs showing the transfers made to Puja and Kunal's accounts," claimed went on to claim, "Shyam's mobile phones were taken by Puja and Kunal, who also forced him to reveal personal details and passwords. They made multiple video recordings, compelling him to speak as instructed. For now, he has been safely recovered with the assistance of the Goa Police, headed by the North Goa Superintendent of Police."After Shyam Sunder Dey was rescued from a Goa villa on June 4, the Goa Police filed an FIR under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against Puja Banerjee, Kunal Verma, and their associate Piyush Kothari. The charges listed—Sections 126(2), 137(2), 140(2), 308(2), 115(2), 351(3), 61(2), and 3(5)—cover serious offenses such as abduction, unlawful confinement, extortion, criminal threats, and conspiracy.
NDTV
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Puja Banerjee, Kunal Verma Lose Their Life Savings In Financial Scam, Say "We Lost A Big Amount"
TV actor couple Puja Banerjee and Kunal Verma have claimed that they were scammed of their entire life savings recently by someone they trusted and knew for a while. The Tujh Sang Preet Lagai Sajna co-stars, who tied the knot in 2020 and have a son, updated their fans and followers about the financial fraud through a vlog on their official YouTube channel Puja & Kunal. "These last two-three months have been extremely difficult for us. We have no idea what will happen next. We have been victims of a financial scam. We lost a big amount. We lost all of our life's savings. We have to start our life from zero but we won't give up. We don't want to give up. In these tough times, all we want is your support and prayers. We have full faith in God," Puja Banerjee said. While the actor said they lost their life savings, she didn't reveal the exact amount. In the video, Kunal Verma said they were cheated by someone they trusted. "They had been coming to the house for two-three years," he added. "We belong to an industry where our livelihood depends entirely on your love and support. Our work remains unfulfilled if you don't watch it. We want you to know there is a person behind this fraud of which we are huge victims," he further said. Puja Banerjee said she decided to open up about the scam after fans expressed concern over her Eid post on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Puja Banerjee (@banerjeepuja) On Eid, the actor shared how her close friend shared a simple dal-chawal meal along with them as their finances had crashed. In the same post, she asked fans and followers to pray for them.
