Actress Pooja Banerjee says she and husband Kunal Verma were cheated under guise of OTT film rights investment scheme
Pooja Banerjee and Kunal Verma. PIC/INSTAGRAM/@kunalrverma
Television and film actress Pooja Banerjee, known for her roles in Hindi television series ‘Tujh Sang Preet Lagai Sajna’ and ‘Kumkum Bhagya’, and Telugu film ‘Veedu Theda’, has lodged a complaint at the Bangur Nagar police station in Mumbai against Bengali film producer Shyam Sunder Dey and two others, accusing them of cheating her of Rs 1.58 crore under guise of an OTT film rights investment scheme.
‘Lured to invest’
In her detailed statement to the police, Banerjee alleged that Dey posed as a film financier and producer and convinced her and her husband, Kunal Verma, in April to invest in the broadcasting rights of 16 upcoming films, claiming the movies were set to premiere on major OTT platforms, including platforms under the Viacom18 banner. To gain their confidence, Dey allegedly showed forged emails and fake correspondence with executives from Viacom18.
Despite initial scepticism from acquaintances, the couple approached Dey for co-investment and signed a formal agreement on April 9. They transferred a total of Rs 2.68 crore to several bank accounts associated with Dey and his alleged company Shadow Films, between April 17 and May 25.
According to the FIR, Dey had promised a guaranteed profit of R50 lakh and assured them of zero financial risk. However, shortly after receiving the funds, Dey reportedly claimed to have fallen seriously ill. The couple stated they even bore his medical expenses at Kokilaben Hospital during his hospitalisation.
After recovery, Dey allegedly began dodging calls and avoiding contact. In WhatsApp chats now submitted as evidence, Dey is seen promising to return Rs 50 lakh by the end of June and the remainder by the end of this month. However, only 9.5 lakh was returned in two payments — Rs 5.5 lakh and Rs 4.5 lakh — on June 2, after which all communication ceased, and Dey reportedly blocked Banerjee and Verma’s numbers.
Case against Dey
“Based on the complaint by the actress, we have registered a case against Day and his associates under relevant sections of BNS 316(4), 318(4), and 3(5), and an investigation is currently underway. Initial investigations revealed that a similar kind of fraud case had already been registered against Dey at Kolkata’s Jorasanko police station. The accused had allegedly cheated an individual named Manish Singhania of Rs 2.76 crore by luring him into investing in film production,” said an officer.
Shyam Sunder Dey. FILE PIC
The other side
“A case has been registered against Pooja in Goa. She, along with her associates, kidnapped and tortured me for four days. I was rescued by the Goa Police. Whatever dealings we had were purely business-related. I don’t know why she kidnapped me; only Pooja can answer that. The FIR filed against me at Bangur Nagar police station is to exact revenge,” said Shyam Sunder Dey in his statement.
When the reporter asked about the second cheating case registered against him in Kolkata, Dey said that the court has ordered the police not to take any action, saying that it is a civil matter.
Allegations refuted
In response, Banerjee said, “These are false allegations against us to escape the actual case wherein he took money from us for a deal that didn’t go through, and he didn’t return the money. No FIR has been lodged in Goa, and the local police have investigated the matter. We are innocent, so they let us return to Mumbai.”
She demanded that Dey declare where the money had been used. “I have full faith in our judicial system. In the past month and a half, he was summoned by the police thrice, but he never appeared,” Banerjee said. “We are innocent victims. Please stop spreading false allegations against us.”
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