Five booked for negligence after complaint by Priyanka Sarkar, wife of late actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee
Telegraph | 6 April 2026
Actress Priyanka Sarkar, wife of late actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee, on Saturday night filed a complaint against five members of production house Magic Moments Motion Picture Pvt Ltd, including director Leena Gangopadhyay, alleging death due to negligence.
Priyanka, along with several other actors, including Prasenjit Chatterjee and Rituparna Sengupta, went to the Talsari Marine police station late on Saturday and lodged the complaint naming members of the production house and holding them accountable for Banerjee’s death.
Officers of Odisha police said they have filed a case against two directors of the production house — Leena Gangopadhyay and Saibal Banerjee. They have also filed an FIR against Shantanu Nandi, the floor executive producer, Chandra Sekhar Chakraborty, the production manager and another official identified as Subhasish Mondal.
“A case has been drawn under sections 106(1)/240/3(5) BNS, which deal with the offences of causing death due to negligence, common intention and providing false information,” said an officer of Talsari Marine police station.
The charges, if proved, can lead to a maximum punishment of two years in jail.
Allegations have surfaced that soon after the incident, Gangopadhyay reportedly said there was no sea sequence in the serial.
In response to phone calls and texts from Metro on Sunday, Gangopadhyay texted: “Sorry. Sub judice.”
The incident took place on March 29 during the shooting of a television series — Bhole Baba Par Karega — when Banerjee and his co-actress slipped in the water.
The actress was rescued soon, but by the time Banerjee could be rescued, he had inhaled a large quantity of sand and salt water, which caused his death.
Later, Priyanka came to know that neither the Production House nor its men had procured permission from the local authorities for the shoot, nor any safety measures were in place during the shoot, sources said.
During the shoot, residents warned the crew members to stop work as the spot had always posed risks. The spot is also infamous for quicksand and erratic high tide, said an officer of Odisha police.
However, the shoot continued, leading to the actor’s death. The police said they have started a probe and will soon summon the accused.
The FIR was lodged hours after the West Bengal Motion Picture’s Artist Forum lodged a complaint against the five production house officials at Regent Park police station on Saturday.