Kamal Ghorui
On Tuesday, the West Bengal Motion Pictures Artists’ Forum decided to file an FIR against the production house of the TV series Bhole Baba Par Karega alleging criminal negligence leading to actor Rahul Banerjee’s drowning off the Talsari Beach along the West Bengal-Odisha on Sunday.According to a source, this was decided during a meeting held at Ranjit Mallick’s residence on Tuesday evening. “Priyanka Sarkar was also present. It’s believed that during this meeting, members collectively decided to file an FIR against the production house. We’ve heard that Bumbada (Prosenjit Chatterjee) is leading the FIR process and a lawyer is drafting the document,” the source told us on Wednesday afternoon, adding, “Priyanka is expected to file an FIR at Golf Green Police Station around 3 pm today. At the same time, the Artists’ Forum is also planning to lodge a complaint at Survey Park Police Station.” However, the time of filing the FIRs was pushed at the last minute, and till the time of going to press, we couldn’t confirm whether Priyanka and the forum had indeed gone ahead as planned.Raising serious concerns about the fatal incident, the All India Cine Workers Association has deemed it an act of criminal negligence and demanded a judicial enquiry into it, along with a compensation of `1 crore to Rahul’s family, among other demands. In a social media post, the association said on Wednesday that it was “not merely an accident – it reflects a systemic failure and prima facie criminal negligence.” The post added: “Had proper safety protocols been implemented, this unfortunate loss of life could have been prevented.Production house promises cooperationIn a delayed statement issued on Wednesday, the production house assured that they “are fully committed to cooperating with the investigation by providing all necessary documentation.” The statement added: “Subject to due permission, we would like to share with the family and/or the representative the shooting footage, communication records with the police, and official acknowledgments to ensure complete transparency.” In a related development, Leena Gangopadhyay from the production house also resigned from her position as the chairperson of the West Bengal Commission for Women.We’ve heard that Bumbada (Prosenjit Chatterjee) is leading the FIR process for the Artists’ Forum & a lawyer is drafting the document– A source
