Bengali actor and former All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Soham Chakraborty has been accused of cheating a businessman of ₹68 lakh, threatening to kill him, and breach of trust, according to police on Wednesday, 29 July. The complaint was filed at Charu Market police station in Tollygunge, south Kolkata.

The Complaint

Sheikh Shahid Imam, a resident of Arambagh in Hooghly district and owner of production house Sonam Movies, lodged the formal complaint against the actor. Imam alleges he handed over money to Chakraborty in 2021 to finance a film that was initially titled 'Manikjor' and later renamed 'Paka Dekha'.

Speaking to reporters after filing the complaint, Imam said: 'I gave money to Soham in 2021 to make a film. At that time, the name of the film was 'Manikjor'. Later, the name of the film was changed to 'Paka Dekha'. That film was released in theatres and did business. Soham also got money. Then when I asked for my share of the profit, he kept saying 'I will give it today', 'I will give it tomorrow'.'

Death Threat Allegation

Imam further alleged that the threats came through an intermediary. 'One day, Soham's assistant Arghya Chatterjee met me in the basement of a Kolkata mall. Then, when I asked for that money, Arghya threatened to kill me. He said, 'If you ask for money, you will get into trouble.' Soham was an MLA at that time. I was told that if I pressure the MLA, my situation will worsen,' Imam said.

Imam added that when he later confronted Chakraborty directly, the actor allegedly refused outright, claiming he could not return the money. Imam also alleged that the satellite and digital rights of 'Paka Dekha' were subsequently sold, and that he has documentary proof of Chakraborty receiving those proceeds as well.

Not the First Such Allegation

This is reportedly not an isolated incident. In June 2025, a separate complaint surfaced involving Kaushik Karmakar, who alleged he had invested over ₹1 crore in Chakraborty's company Soham Entertainment for a film titled 'Lal Suitcase ta'. According to that complaint, the film never materialised, Chakraborty did not act in it, and when Karmakar sought a refund, the actor allegedly invoked his political standing as an MLA to intimidate him.

As of the time of reporting, there has been no official response from Chakraborty or his representatives regarding either complaint.

What Happens Next

The Charu Market police station has received the formal complaint and is expected to initiate a preliminary inquiry. Given the pattern of allegations — spanning at least two separate complainants and two financial transactions — investigators may examine whether the cases are linked. The absence of any rebuttal from the actor's camp leaves several key questions unanswered as the matter moves into the legal domain.