Film body chief resigns after graft charge

KOLKATA: Amidst allegations of corruption, Krishna Daga, president of Eastern India Motion Pictures Association (EIMPA), tendered his resignation on Wednesday evening.




Though the official reason cited for the exit didn’t acknowledge the corruption charge, at least one member of EIMPA asked for an immediate cop probe. When TOI asked Daga about his resignation, he confirmed the news but didn’t speak on the corruption charge.

An EIMPA executive committee member alleged Daga took around Rs 20 lakh from two unauthorized occupants and let them stay on the ground floor of the association’s Dharmatala office. EIMPA vice-president Subhas Dutta, who has now taken over as the president, said, “Our rules say if a member comes to a committee through co-option, he has to resign after the annual general meeting. Since he was a co-opted member, he had to resign.”

But Bijay Kalyani, one of the 28 executive committee members, refused to accept this argument. He claimed Daga was requested to resign owing to “financial irregularities”. “Without the consent of the executive committee members, he negotiated with the occupants and rented out the property. Being the president, he can take decisions for the welfare of the organisation but can’t certainly do it singlehandedly. A panel will probe the charges,” Kalyani added.

Shrikant Mohta, who had resigned as the EIMPA president before Daga was elected to the post, also declined to buy Dutta’s argument that Daga resigned on technical grounds. “He is capable of doing anything with EIMPA members’ money. A police complaint should be lodged and a probe started immediately. Members should not be cheated. He shouldn’t be allowed to go scot free. All the executive committee members will be responsible if they don’t take proper action against him. All officebearers should be accountable for whatever is happening,” said Mohta, EIMPA member.