Days after TV actors and couple Puja Banerjee and Kunal Verma claimed that they were victims of financial fraud by a close friend, the duo has now been accused of kidnapping. Reportedly, they have been accused of abducting and extorting money from Bengali film producer Shyam Sunder. The allegations were made by the producer’s wife, Malabika Dey, who also filed an official complaint against them.
On June 14, Malabika Dey shared a Facebook post accusing the couple of using coercive methods to extract money from her husband. In her post, she attached WhatsApp screenshots, payment receipts, and FIR documents as proof of her claims.
The Goa Police has filed an FIR under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against Puja Banerjee, Kunal Verma, and their associate Piyush Kothari. The charges listed—Sections 126(2), 137(2), 140(2), 308(2), 115(2), 351(3), 61(2), and 3(5)—cover serious offenses including abduction, unlawful confinement, extortion, criminal threats, and conspiracy.
What Malabika Dey said in her Facebook post
Malabika Dey wrote, “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.”
“While on a business trip in Goa, my husband was driving a rented car when Puja and others intercepted him and forcibly took him to an undisclosed location.”
“In Goa, my husband was subjected to mental torture, and they demanded Rs 64 lakh from him. They threatened to falsely accuse him in 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,” she claimed.
She further 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.”
Puja Banerjee and Kunal Verma speak out
Speaking to ETimes, Puja said, “These past 2-3 months have been extremely difficult for us, and we have no idea what will happen next. We were victims of a fraudulent financial scam and lost a huge amount.” She added, “We have to start from zero, but we won’t give up. We’ve lost all our savings in this fraud. All we want is for everyone to support and pray for us. We believe in God.”
Puja noted that her husband Kunal has been “deeply affected” by the incident, and that their only hope of starting over is with the support of their audience. While they didn’t reveal the identity of the fraudster, they said it was someone extremely close to them.
Kunal shared, “When you trust someone for three years… he’s been part of your home and family…” Puja added, “We are deeply hurt but we don’t want to give up. We want to come out stronger.”
Kunal also revealed that they had not yet told their families about the fraud. “We have cried enough. These past months were extremely shattering. All we want now is support. It was impossible for us to share this with our family, but now with this video, they will know. It feels terrible to tell them. All our lives, we’ve worked hard to earn what we have,” he concluded.
