Fresh doubts emerge in Rahul Banerjee’s ‘drowning’ after autopsy
KOLKATA: The sudden and tragic death of actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee at the age of 43 has left the Bengali entertainment industry in shock, even as conflicting accounts continue to cloud the circumstances of his drowning. The incident occurred during the shooting of the TV serial ‘Bhole Baba Paar Karega’ at Talsari beach in Odisha on Sunday. His last rites were held on Monday evening at Keoratala in the presence of his wife Priyanka Sarkar, their son Shohoj, and members of the film fraternity. Yet, beyond the grief, serious questions have emerged over on-set safety and the mystery surrounding his death.
A post-mortem was conducted at Tamluk Hospital on Monday. Preliminary findings indicate that Rahul died due to drowning after prolonged submersion. Doctors found a large amount of sand and water in his lungs, which had swollen significantly, suggesting that he remained underwater for a considerable period before being rescued. Meanwhile, producer Leena Gangopadhyay said that no water sequence was part of the script, raising a key concern, if so, why did Rahul enter deep water and why was he not stopped? Police have also indicated that there was no official permission for sea shooting. Meanwhile, multiple and contradictory versions from the unit have deepened the confusion. Some claim Rahul fell from a boat, while others say he was swept away from knee-deep water.
The production team insists he was rescued within minutes and was alive en route to the hospital, but other accounts suggest he was missing for nearly an hour. Director Subhashis Mondal said a drone shot involving Rahul and co-actor Sweta Mishra was being filmed when both lost balance in the sea, while Sweta said the accident occurred during active shooting amid strong waves.
The case took a crucial turn with the emergence of shooting footage, which shows Rahul holding Sweta’s hand and walking toward the sea before losing balance and disappearing into the water. While Sweta is seen being rescued, Rahul is not visible again. This has raised a critical question: if no water scene was planned, why was a drone already recording? Allegations of negligence have since surfaced, including the absence of permission, lifeguards, an ambulance and trained personnel.
The tragedy also took a political turn when BJP’s Tollygunge candidate Papiya Adhikari visited Rahul’s residence in Bijoygarh on Monday and slogans raised by supporters angered mourners. State minister Aroop Biswas has been overseeing arrangements, while CPI(M) leaders, including Md Salim, Satarup Ghosh and Dipshita Dhar, paid their respects.
As inconsistencies mount, industry voices are demanding accountability and a fair investigation into the matter. Actress Sudipta Chakraborty said that none of the versions matches, while Sujoy Prosad Chatterjee called for a boycott of the production. Swarup Biswas has also questioned how the shooting proceeded without permission. Others like Chaiti Ghoshal and Rupanjana Mitra have echoed similar concerns.
