Kolkata, 01 April (H.S.): Just ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, Trinamool Congress MLA and Bengali film actor Soham Chakraborty has landed in legal trouble over a loan dispute, with a petition filed against him in the Calcutta High Court.

The petition has been filed by a Hooghly-based businessman, Shahid Imam. According to court sources, the matter is likely to be heard on Thursday. The court has directed Soham Chakraborty or his authorised representative to remain present during the next hearing.

The petitioner has alleged that he had invested in 2021 for the production of a Bengali film associated with Chakraborty. According to the claims, a total of ₹68 lakh was paid, out of which ₹25 lakh has been returned, while around ₹43 lakh is still pending.

The petition also alleged that threats were issued when the remaining amount was demanded. A complaint in this connection was also lodged at Charu Market Police Station in Kolkata.

According to available information, Shahid Imam was arrested in 2022 in connection with the teacher recruitment case and was granted bail in 2024. After his release from jail, he began pursuing recovery of the pending amount.

It has also been reported that a legal notice was sent to Soham Chakraborty in February regarding the alleged pending payment. As per the notice, a written agreement was signed between the two parties on July 29, 2021, for the production of the Bengali film Manik Jor.

As per the agreement, the petitioner was to invest ₹1 crore in the project, of which ₹68 lakh was paid during the initial phase. However, it has been alleged that the film’s production did not begin and that there was no concrete progress in terms of script development or shooting.

Speaking to the media, Shahid Imam said that Chakraborty later returned ₹25 lakh in two instalments but failed to clear the remaining dues, forcing him to approach the court.

Notably, Soham Chakraborty is currently busy campaigning as a Trinamool Congress candidate from the Karimpur Assembly constituency in Nadia district.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh