I-T raids at residences, offices of actors, producers of Tamil film industry
CHENNAI: Income Tax sleuths on Thursday raided the houses and offices of several film personalities, including popular comedian N Santhanam and several leading producers of the Tamil film industry.
I-T (Investigation) additional director Murali Mohan confirmed the raids that began early Thursday. The move upset the film fraternity, coming as a dampener on the eve of Diwali festival. Some big production houses, which released a couple of films, have also been raided.
A senior I-T officer said the film production houses failed to pay taxes to the I-T department. He also alleged that some of these production houses had used unaccounted money to produce the films.
The raids that began at 8am on Thursday were conducted at 30 places in Chennai and one place in Hyderabad and continued through the day. I-T sources said the raids were conducted at actor Santhanam's house near SIET College in Teynampet in Chennai, the Valsaravalkam residence of film producer A M Rathnam, producer R B Choudary's office and house on North Usman Road in T Nagar and producer Gnanavel Raja Vadapalani residence. I-T officials also conducted a raid at one of Rathnam's guest houses in Hyderabad.
The outcome of the raid is yet to be ascertained. I-T officials said they would collect all relevant documents and details to substantiate their charge that these film personalities had accrued wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income. At least 50 I-T officials participated in the raids. Further course of action will be decided based on the documents seized, they said.
