Film production official held for blast at Coronation bridge

Chaitali Banerjee has been booked under different sections of the IPC and the PDPP (Prevention of Damage to Public Property) Act

Chaitali Banerjee (left) in Kalimpong on Friday.: Telegraph photo

TT Correspondent   |   Siliguri   |   26.03.22  : Kalimpong police have arrested the line producer of a web series production unit that was involved in orchestrating a blast on the Coronation bridge at Sevoke near here for shooting on Thursday.

Chaitali Banerjee, who is associated with Movie Craft Media, a Siliguri-based private company that provides logistical support to film companies for shooting in north Bengal, Sikkim and adjoining areas, has been booked under different sections of the IPC and the PDPP (Prevention of Damage to Public Property) Act.

On Thursday morning, a blast on a truck occurred on the 81-year-old bridge, located around 20km from here. Local people and the police went into tizzy over the incident but soon, it was found that the explosion was carried out by a film production unit during the shooting of a web series.

The Kalimpong police came to know that the production unit didn’t have permission to carry out the blast. Also, NH 31, which passes through the bridge, was closed for around 40 minutes for the shooting.

“They did not have permission and thus, a case was registered at Kalimpong police station. Chaitali Banerjee, who is associated with the unit, was arrested and produced in court here today (Friday),” said a police officer.

According to police sources, charges under sections 188 (disobedience to order promulgated by public servant) and 435 (committing mischief by fire or any other explosive) of the IPC have been brought against her, along with sections of the PDPP Act.

Banerjee was remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.

Senior police officers, who visited the bridge on Friday, also found out that there was dereliction of duty on the part of Dalim Adhikary, the officer-in-charge of Sevoke police outpost that is under Kurseong police station of Darjeeling district.

“He has been removed from the post and has been closed at the district police lines. Police personnel from the outpost are posted on the bridge in a regular manner and there is information that some of them were on the bridge when the blast took place. The officer-in-charge cannot evade his responsibility,” said a source.

Engineers of the public works department inspected the bridge after the blast and found nothing which suggested there was any damage to the structure or the road surface. “The PWD had no inkling of the shooting. After the incident, we have examined it and no damage has been reported so far. It seems the blast was on something that didn’t directly come in contact with the bridge’s surface,” said a PWD official.

Courtesy & source