In a shocking turn of events, Tollywood television director Siddhanta Das, popularly known in the industry as “Victo”, was remanded to 10 days’ police custody by the Alipore court today.

Das has been accused of driving under the influence of alcohol and ramming into multiple pedestrians in Thakurpukur, resulting in the death of one elderly man and injuries to six others. Two of the injured remain in critical condition at a local hospital. The tragic incident occurred on Sunday around 9.30 a.m. Das, allegedly in an inebriated state, lost control of his vehicle near Thakurpukur market, veering off Diamond Harbour Road and striking pedestrians in rapid succession. Eyewitnesses reported scenes of chaos and horror as the car mowed down people one after another. According to the police, the group, including Das and others, were returning from a party at a farmhouse in Bishnupur celebrating the release of a film. All occupants of the car were reportedly intoxicated at the time of the accident. The impact of the incident was also felt on the set of Sun Bangla’s upcoming serial “Video Bouma”, directed by Das. Shooting was halted for the day and replaced with an outdoor schedule. Executive producer Shreya Basu, also linked to the serial, was granted bail, while Das was arrested and denied bail. Industry insiders and actors have publicly condemned the incident. In a strong statement, a well-known television actor said: “I don’t even know what to say. But one thing is certain — I see this industry closely every day, and I fear it’s slowly being consumed by substance abuse. This is a deeply condemnable incident, and the guilty must be punished.”

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Meanwhile, channel authorities reportedly held an urgent meeting with executive producers of various shows following the accident. The television fraternity has expressed shock and grief, calling for accountability and stronger safeguards within the industry.