In a tearful press conference held earlier today, television actors Puja Banerjee and Kunal Verma publicly addressed the shocking kidnapping and extortion allegations leveled against them by Bengali film producer Shyam Sunder Dey and his wife Malabika. The couple denied all accusations, presented supporting evidence, and shared harrowing details of what they claim is a massive financial fraud that has not only wiped out their savings but also pushed their family into deep emotional and financial turmoil.
Puja began by clarifying the nature of her relationship with Shyam Sunder Dey, stating, “We have known Shyam for three to four years. Our relationship was always friendly. He approached me with a film deal saying he was buying rights of 16 films and would earn a profit of ₹3.85 crore. He promised me ₹50 lakhs if I could help him connect with an investor.”Despite not committing financially, Puja says she and Kunal were pressured into arranging money. “He painted a dramatic picture, saying the deal was falling through, and he was under pressure. Kunal and I borrowed money from friends and family—we even reached out to Arjun Bijlani, who helped us during this time,” she revealed.
The couple eventually transferred ₹1.68 crore to Dey’s production company, Shadow Films. “We had to mortgage Kunal’s parents' house to take a loan. That’s how we returned the borrowed money to our friends. When Shyam found out, he asked us to deposit the loan directly to his account, saying it would make the transaction look ‘contractual’—and we agreed. But after that, he started avoiding our calls,” Puja added. Soon after, she says, friends from Kolkata informed her about past legal cases against Dey, including a SEBI investigation and a prior stint in jail in 2020.
The turning point came when the couple flew to Goa on May 31 to confront Dey face-to-face. “We went peacefully to speak to him. He welcomed us, booked a villa, and promised to return the money. I even left early for a shoot, and Kunal stayed behind briefly. But the next day, while I was on set, I got a call saying Malabika had filed a kidnapping case against us. I broke down completely—I was terrified for Kunal,” Puja recalled, visibly emotional.
Kunal added that after being questioned by Goa Police, their innocence was acknowledged. “The police understood the truth after we shared our side. There was no kidnapping, no extortion—just our attempt to get our money back,” he said. However, the damage was already done. “Projects I was supposed to shoot in July dropped me overnight. I’ve mortgaged another flat, sold my gold, and I’m still paying EMIs. I couldn’t sleep. I blamed Puja, and we’ve fought because of this. I’m ashamed to even look at my kid right now,” Kunal said through tears.
The couple also spoke about the social media backlash. Malabika Dey had posted screenshots that included Kunal’s phone number, resulting in abusive calls and threats. “I’ve been told the most disgusting things. We’ve stayed silent for weeks because we didn’t want to escalate the matter. But now our families are suffering—my father is bedridden, and my mother received calls asking if I was in jail,” Puja shared.
In closing, they both made a plea for justice and peace. “We don’t want revenge—we just want our ₹1.58 crore back. That’s the money of our parents, our friends, and our future. These false allegations have cost us our dignity, our peace, and our careers. But we’re still standing,” Puja said. Kunal echoed the sentiment: “When our child grows up, he will read all this. I just want him to know we did the right thing, even if the world misunderstood us.”
As of now, no further response has been issued by Shyam Sunder Dey. The case remains under police investigation.
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