Model dead, actor injured in south Kolkata car crash

Kolkata: Young model-actor Sonika Chauhan was killed while budding actor Bikram Chattyapadhay was injured in a road accident in south Kolkata early on Saturday as they were returning home in a sedan from a late-night party at a hotel on Friday. The speeding sedan, which Chattyapadhay was driving, struck a divider and turned on its side, killing Chauhan and injuring Chattyapadhay.

Sonika was sitting next to Chatterjee (30) who was driving his car (WB -12C-9755) allegedly at a high speed along Rasbehari Avenue from Gariahat. Losing control the white sedan skidded off at around 3.30 am and rode the footpath on its left at Tara Road-Rasbehari Avenue crossing in front of Lake Mall before hitting a road-side memorial, eye-witnesses claimed adding that the sedan then veered to the right, dashed the road divider and got side-turned. The speed of the sedan was around 120 km per hour, according to preliminary investigation by the Tollygunge police.

The locals rescued Sonika and Bikram with serious injuries and rushed them to Ruby General Hospital. Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) V Solomon Nesakumar said, “Sonika succumbed to her injuries there at around 4.50 am.” Bikram, a resident of Swinhoe Lane in Kasba, is undergoing treatment at the private hospital off EM Bypass. He received five stitches on head, sources revealed. The police impounded the mangled sedan and found that the five air-bags inside it were intact. A case on rash driving charge has been initiated by the police in the accident. Bikram’s father Bijoy Chatterjee said that his son left the studio in Tollygunge at around 2.30 am after completing the shooting. Along with his friends, the actor then went to a hotel on AJC Bose Road for a party.

After leaving he was going to drop Sonika at her residence at Hastings Tower-1 on Garden Reach Road in Watgunge area. Sonika was living there with her family at a flat. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee inquired about Bikram’s condition. Tollygunge MLA and PWD minister Aroop Biswas visited the actor at the hospital during the day and saw Bikram.