Latest news with #PujaBanerjee
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Actor couple booked for ‘abducting and extorting Rs 23 lakh' from Bengali film producer in Goa
Actor-couple Kunal Verma and Puja Banerjee were booked for allegedly abducting and extorting money from Bengali film producer Shyam Sunder Dey in Goa, police said on Friday. Goa Police said it received a Zero FIR from the office of Deputy Commissioner of Police, BDN Zone, Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate, West Bengal, following which an offence was registered at Goa's Calangute police station on Thursday. The FIR was registered under sections 126 (2) (wrongful restraint), 137(2) (kidnapping), 140 (2) (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder or for ransom etc), 308(5) (extortion), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(3) (criminal intimidation) and other relevant sections of BNS, 2023. According to the police, the complainant, Malabika Dey, who is a resident of Kolkata, alleged that from May 31 to June 4, the accused persons 'restrained…and forcefully abducted' her husband, Shyam Sunder Dey, when he was travelling in a rented car in Goa and confined him in a villa. In the FIR, the complainant alleged that the accused assaulted her husband and threatened to falsely implicate him in a narcotics case. It was also alleged that the accused kept him at different undisclosed locations and extorted Rs 23 lakh from him. Goa Police said the zero FIR was registered in West Bengal on June 12. 'We received the zero FIR on Thursday, and a case has now been registered here. A probe has been initiated. The issue stems from a prior financial dispute, but we are verifying the details,' said an officer. In a post on Instagram on Friday, Puja Banerjee, known for portraying roles in Bengali films and Hindi television, said, 'Going through the toughest time of our lives, those who are standing by us, we will be forever grateful to you all. And those who believe in the lies spread against us, God bless them too. I believe in God, and you know God is watching.'
Economic Times
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
'God is watching': TV actress Puja Banerjee after being accused of extortion amid house mortgage and scam claims
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Puja Banerjee and Kunal Verma duped In a shocking turn of events, television couple Puja Banerjee and Kunal Verma — who recently opened up about being victims of a massive financial fraud — are now facing serious allegations themselves. Just when the duo had begun to share their side of a harrowing personal ordeal, they found themselves at the centre of another controversy. This time, Bengali film producer Shyam Sunder Dey and his wife Malabika have filed an FIR against the couple, accusing them of extortion, physical assault, and Banerjee, known for her work in popular Hindi and Bengali shows, broke her silence by penning an emotional note on Instagram. Without naming names, she acknowledged the storm they're currently weathering and mentioned 'going through the toughest time' of their lives. While thanking those who have stood by them, she also offered blessings to those believing the allegations and said, 'GOD IS WATCHING.'The accusations surfaced shortly after the couple had gone public with their own financial nightmare. In a recent video, Puja and Kunal revealed that they were victims of a large-scale scam that wiped out all their savings. Puja, who looked visibly shaken, shared that they will have to start from zero and that they lost all their savings in this fraud. The actress had also shared that they were duped by someone very close to them, on whom they placed their Banerjee had shared that they had mortgaged their home to recover funds lost in a financial scam, and now face the risk of losing it. In one of the vlogs, she showed that she visited the Icchapurti Hanuman temple with her son, praying for strength and stability. As he recited the Hanuman Chalisa, Puja's emotional plea was for her child to always have a roof above his head.
Indian Express
12 hours ago
- 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.
Time of India
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'God is watching': TV actress Puja Banerjee after being accused of extortion amid house mortgage and scam claims
In a shocking turn of events, television couple Puja Banerjee and Kunal Verma — who recently opened up about being victims of a massive financial fraud — are now facing serious allegations themselves. Just when the duo had begun to share their side of a harrowing personal ordeal, they found themselves at the centre of another controversy. This time, Bengali film producer Shyam Sunder Dey and his wife Malabika have filed an FIR against the couple, accusing them of extortion, physical assault, and more. Puja Banerjee, known for her work in popular Hindi and Bengali shows, broke her silence by penning an emotional note on Instagram. Without naming names, she acknowledged the storm they're currently weathering and mentioned 'going through the toughest time' of their lives. While thanking those who have stood by them, she also offered blessings to those believing the allegations and said, 'GOD IS WATCHING.' Puja Banerjee and Kunal Verma duped The accusations surfaced shortly after the couple had gone public with their own financial nightmare. In a recent video, Puja and Kunal revealed that they were victims of a large-scale scam that wiped out all their savings. Puja, who looked visibly shaken, shared that they will have to start from zero and that they lost all their savings in this fraud. The actress had also shared that they were duped by someone very close to them, on whom they placed their trust. Puja Banerjee had shared that they had mortgaged their home to recover funds lost in a financial scam, and now face the risk of losing it. In one of the vlogs, she showed that she visited the Icchapurti Hanuman temple with her son, praying for strength and stability. As he recited the Hanuman Chalisa, Puja's emotional plea was for her child to always have a roof above his head.
Hindustan Times
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Puja Banerjee breaks silence on FIR for kidnapping, extortion charges: ‘Going through the toughest time in our lives'
Jun 27, 2025 08:17 PM IST Puja Banerjee and Kunal Verma said that they were the target of a financial fraud earlier this month. A few days later, they were accused of kidnapping Bengali film producer Shyam Sunder Dey, along with charges of physical assault and extortion of money. An FIR was filed against the duo by Shyam's wife, Malabika Dey. On Friday, Puja broke her silence on the controversy and said that they are going through the 'toughest time' of their lives. (Also read: FIR filed against Puja Banerjee and Kunal Verma for allegedly kidnapping and extorting money from Bengali film producer) Puja Banerjee has reacted after she and Kunal Verma received accusations from Bengali film producer Shyam Sunder Dey. Puja took to her Instagram account and wrote, 'Going through the toughest time of our lives, those who are standing by us we will be forever grateful to you all. And those who believe in the lies spread against us god bless them too. I believe in God and u know GOD IS WATCHING.' In the caption, she wrote, 'God is great.' About the allegations Malabika shared a detailed note on her Facebook account, including claims of physical and mental assault on Shyam. "This incident is not just a serious crime, it is a betrayal and a breach of trust towards a friend. In addition to physical and mental abuse on Shyam, our entire family is suffering deep mental damage from this incident. We are tackling the legal way and have full confidence in the judicial system. I urge all creative society members to be alert," she mentioned. She said that Shyam was threatened with his involvement in a drug case if he didn't pay around ₹ 64 lakh. She added that with the help of the Goa Police, Shyam was rescued safely. An FIR was filed against Puja and Kunal under Section 126(2), 137(2), 140(2), 308(2), 115(2), 351(3), 61(2) & 3(5).
