Bengali film and television actor Vikram Chatterjee was arrested from Kolkata on Friday in connection with the death of model Sonika Chauhan in a car accident in April, police said.

He was intercepted by police while travelling in a car near a south Kolkata Mall at around 12.15 a.m. He has since been remanded in three-day police custody, police said.

“Around 0015 hours, on receipt of information about the movement of Vikram Chatterjee, police officers intercepted him while travelling in a cab just before Acropolis Mall on Rashbehari Avenue Connector,” informed sources said.

“He was presented in an Alipore court on Friday afternoon, and was remanded in custody till July 10,” police said.

Vikram was at the wheel while Sonika was sitting on the front seat when the accident happened on April 29 on a south Kolkata Street while both were returning from a party. He has been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and rash and negligent driving.

According to police, a forensic test on the car revealed its speed was between 95 and 115 km per hour a few seconds before the accident.

During police questioning, the actor allegedly confessed to consuming alcohol on the night of the accident. However, he claimed he was not drunk and was not overspeeding.

Sonika was rushed to a city hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. The actor sustained a head injury and was hospitalised.

Sonika’s friend, designer Abhishek Dutta expressed that he is pleasantly surprised at Vikram getting arrested just a few days before Sonika’s birthday. Dutta took to Facebook to express, “I was quite surprised since I have been hearing of him going missing. I thought it would take a while for him to get arrested. So, the morning news comes as a pleasant surprise. In fact two days back, I had a discussion with Saheb Bhattacharya on this issue. He was quite depressed about the whole thing. All of Sonika’s friends and supporters must be thrilled with this news as much as I am. However, this gives us a little more faith in our law and order system. Now, everything depends on his bail plea hearing. Everyone’s prayers have been answered. His arrest before Sonika’s birthday on July 12 is a true gift for her parents.