Goa Police Book TV Actor Couple Puja Banerjee and Kunal Verma for Alleged Abduction and Extortion of Bengali Filmmaker

Panaji: A serious criminal case has been filed against television actors Puja Banerjee and Kunal Verma in Goa, as they face allegations of abducting and extorting money from Bengali filmmaker Shyam Sunder Dey, who has reportedly directed and produced over 50 films.

According to police sources, the FIR was initially lodged in Kolkata on June 12 by Dey's wife, Malabika, and later transferred to Calangute Police in North Goa, as the incident occurred within their jurisdiction. Alongside the actor couple, a man named Piyush Kothari and others have also been booked under charges of kidnapping, assault, and extortion.

Authorities have summoned Dey to appear before the investigating officer to provide his official statement.

Allegations in the FIR

Malabika’s complaint details a disturbing sequence of events. She stated that her husband shared a close, almost familial relationship with Puja Banerjee and Kunal Verma, who had offered to financially back one of his film projects.

While working on a script and driving a rented car in Goa on May 31, Dey was allegedly intercepted and abducted by the accused. He was taken by force to an undisclosed location, where he was reportedly assaulted and tortured by Banerjee, Verma, and their associates.

The FIR further claims that the actor couple and their accomplices demanded ₹64 lakh, threatening to falsely implicate Dey in a narcotics case if he didn’t comply. During the illegal detention, Dey’s mobile phones were confiscated, and personal data and passwords were allegedly extracted under duress.

On June 1, Dey was reportedly moved from his hotel to a private villa, where he remained confined. Under extreme mental pressure, he is said to have paid around ₹23 lakh to the accused between May 31 and June 3.

Malabika said she alerted senior police officers via email on June 3, following which Goa Police rescued her husband on June 4.

The investigation is currently underway, and the accused have not yet released a public statement.