Popular Bengali actor Bonny Sengupta was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for four hours on Thursday in connection with the bribe-for-job scam in the West Bengal education department. The ED found Bonny's name on the list of people who received money from arrested Trinamool Yuva leader Kuntal Ghosh.
The ED summoned the actor again on March 14.
Bonny Sengupta and charges against him:
1. Born on August 10, 1990, Bonny Sengupta began his career with Borbaad in 2014 followed by Parbona Ami Chartey Tokey the next year. Both were directed by Raj Chakraborty, who is also now a Trinamool Congress MLA.
2. Bonny's father is director Anup Sengupta and his mother is Piya Sengupta.
3. He is the grandson of actor-director Sukhen Das.
4. Bonny appeared before the ED at its office in Kolkata on Thursday afternoon where he was interrogated for several hours.
5. The actor’s name came up during the interrogation of Kuntal Ghosh, one of the prime suspects who is now in the custody of the Central Bureau of Investigation, said officials. During Ghosh’s interrogation, it was found out that Bonny received money from him.
6. Kuntal Ghosh, a TMC youth wing leader, was arrested on January 21 in connection with its probe into large-scale irregularities in the recruitment of teachers in West Bengal.
{{/usCountry}}6. Kuntal Ghosh, a TMC youth wing leader, was arrested on January 21 in connection with its probe into large-scale irregularities in the recruitment of teachers in West Bengal.
{{/usCountry}}7. Bonny told the media that Ghosh gave him around ₹40 lakh in 2017 to buy a Land Rover Discovery SUV for personal use. “Ghosh, who has a production house, approached me in 2017 with an offer for a movie but the project did not take off. Since I had asked him to pay for my car through a legitimate bank transaction, I did shows for him till 2021 to make up for that money. I sold the car after using it for five years. I have no other connection with Ghosh,” Bonny said.
8. Bonny is among a number of actors who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prior to the 2021 assembly polls, however, he left the saffron camp soon, his father told media persons on Thursday following the summons.
9 .Bonny’s mother Piya Sengupta said she joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in 2021.
10. Upon summons to Bonny, TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh alleged that he was being interrogated because he left the BJP.
(With inputs from Kolkata bureau)