Mumbai: Television couple Puja Banerjee and Kunal Verma, who were recently in news for apparently losing their savings in a scam, have been accused of kidnapping a film producer and extorting money from him.
The incident came to light after Bengali film producer Shyam Sunder Dey’s wife Malabika Dey shared a detailed post, along with Whatsapp screenshots, payment receipts and FIR documents on Facebook.
“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,” she wrote.
“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,” she continued.
“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 added, “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.”
Goa Police have filed an FIR under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against Puja, Kunal and their associate Piyush. The charges under 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 producer told The Times of India: “When I was driving, a black Jaguar blocked my car on a busy road. They came out of nowhere and forced me to a halt. Two men approached me, and insisted I step out. At first, I refused. But then I noticed Puja Banerjee, who has been like a sister to me, was present I stepped out of the car.”
He continued, “Then, I was taken to a villa. I stayed at the villa from June 1 to June 4. I wasn’t allowed to leave. Every day I tried to reason with Puja and Kunal; I reminded them we were like family, pleaded with them to stop. But all I faced were threats,” he alleged.
“When they began pressing me to sign property papers, I realised this had gone too far,” he said.
The producer further revealed that using a phone left near him, he secretly sent his location and a video to his wife Malabika, which he had shot inside a bathroom. Soon, his wife lodged a police complaint.
Last week, Puja and Kunal claimed they had lost all their savings in a scam.
“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 shared in a vlog.
