Bengali TV actor Pallavi Dey found dead in Kolkata flat, family suspects murder

Dey (25), who was playing the female lead in the TV show ‘Mon Mane Na’, was found hanging from a ceiling fan, with the investigators claiming that prima facie it appeared to be a case of suicide.

Dey’s family, however, raised the suspicion that she may have been murdered.

An official said, “Dey was rushed to the MR Bangur Hospital where she was declared dead. We are investigating the circumstances that led to her death. The actor’s body has been sent for post-mortem examination.”

The police in an official statement said, “The actor was found hanging from a ceiling fan with the help of a bedsheet. The incident took place at about 9:30am. A case of unnatural death has been registered.”

Dey was reportedly in a live-in relationship with her boyfriend Shagnik Chakraborty, officials said, adding that he was being questioned at the Garfa police station. Shagnik, who works in a private company, told the police that he found the door locked from inside when he returned after going out for a smoke in the morning. He broke open the door and found Pallavi’s body hanging, he claimed, adding that he informed the police.

Sources said she shifted to a rented flat only last month. Her father Nilu Dey said, “Her partner had a registered marriage with someone else two years ago and we came to know about this six months back. There was another girl who he was close to and it would often create trouble in their relationship. We don’t know who saw her hanging.”

Shagnik’s mother Sandhya Chakraborty said, “We were not happy with the live-in concept but they are adults and the girl side had no issue. We wanted them to stay together after marriage only. She was short-tempered and would talk rudely to us. So we did not speak to her very often.”

Born and brought up in Bengal, Dey was first selected for a lead role in the Bengali show ‘Aami Sirajer Begum’. Her other TV shows include ‘Reshma Japi’, ‘Kunjo Chhaya’ and ‘Saraswati Prem’. Over the years, she has portrayed a wide range of characters in several television serials. Dey’s colleagues from the TV industry said people were waiting for her at the set as she was likely to report for shooting on Sunday.