Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court has been moved against Trinamool Congress candidate and outgoing MLA Soham Chakraborty over allegations of financial fraud, triggering political ripples ahead of the Assembly polls.
The case has been filed by one Shahid Imam, who has accused Chakraborty of failing to repay Rs 68 lakh allegedly taken in connection with a film project in 2021. The matter is likely to come up for hearing next week before Justice Gaurang Kanth.
According to the complaint, Imam had entered into an agreement with the actor for producing a film, under which Chakraborty received a substantial portion of the agreed Rs 1 crore. However, the project did not materialise, and the money was allegedly not returned. Imam has also claimed that despite repeated demands after his release from jail in a recruitment scam case, the dues remain unpaid, and he was even threatened when he sought repayment.
This is not the first legal tussle between the two. Earlier, the court had directed them to resolve the dispute through arbitration, but no settlement was reached, prompting the fresh petition.
The controversy has added to the political heat in Nadia’s Karimpur, where Chakraborty has been fielded this time. The BJP has seized on the allegations to target the ruling party, while the Trinamool Congress has dismissed the case as a politically motivated attempt to malign its candidate ahead of the elections.