Odisha Police File Negligence Case Against Tollywood Production House Over Actor's Death
Police in Odisha's Talsari have registered a formal case against five key members of a prominent Tollywood production house, holding them prima facie responsible for the tragic death of actor Rahul Banerjee during a television serial shoot last Sunday. The charges include criminal negligence and deliberate misrepresentation of facts surrounding the incident.
Official Police Statement and Investigation Details
Balasore Superintendent of Police Pratyush Diwakar confirmed the development, stating, "We have registered a case against five key functionaries of Magic Moments Motion Picture Pvt Ltd — directors Subhasish Mondal, Saibal Banerjee and Leena Gangopadhyay, floor executive producer Shantanu Nandi; and production manager Chandra Sekhar Chakraborty alias Sekhar Chakraborty — on charges of negligence leading to the actor's death and fabricating a false narrative." The investigation is currently ongoing, with plans to question all suspects along with other crew members involved in the production.
Wife's Complaint and Allegations of Safety Negligence
The case was registered following a detailed complaint filed late Saturday night by Rahul Banerjee's wife, Priyanka Sarkar, at the Talsari Marine Police Station. This complaint came after an initial unnatural death case had been filed at Digha Mohana Coastal Police Station on March 29.
In her formal complaint, Priyanka Sarkar made several serious allegations against the production house:
- The production company failed to obtain official permission from Odisha government authorities to conduct the sea shoot
- No proper safety protocols were implemented for filming in potentially dangerous sea conditions
- Local residents had specifically warned the crew to halt shooting due to the beach's notorious reputation for quicksand and unpredictable tides, but these warnings were completely ignored
- The production house deliberately concealed the true sequence of events and misled police investigators
Contradictory Evidence and Witness Accounts
Priyanka Sarkar further alleged that contradictory audio-video statements from various crew members raised significant suspicion about the official version of events. Meanwhile, accounts from local witnesses that aired on multiple news channels consistently pointed toward gross negligence and a complete lack of basic safety measures during the filming.
"It establishes that the production house committed gross negligence, deliberately avoided accountability, and misrepresented the facts to build a false narrative and escape legal consequences," Priyanka Sarkar stated in her First Information Report.
Production House's Version and Incident Details
Subhasish Mondal, one of the directors named in the case, had previously claimed that formal shooting had concluded when Rahul Banerjee insisted on an unscripted drone shot. According to this account, the actor was filming in knee-deep water with co-star Sweta Mishra when he ventured deeper into the water for a second take despite warnings from crew members. A strong wave reportedly caused him to slip, leading to the tragic incident. Crew members and lifeguards attempted rescue operations, but Banerjee was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital.
The ongoing police investigation will now examine all available evidence, including witness statements, technical reports, and documentation regarding permissions and safety measures to determine the exact circumstances that led to this preventable tragedy.
