Income tax raids on Kerala superstars

The Income Tax department has conducted simultaneous raids on the homes and offices of two of Malayalam cinema’s biggest stars

Mammootty and Mohanlal, who are known to have several business interests, are facing IT action for the first time. Our sources tell us that this could well be the first major raid on stars from the Kerala film industry. Reports coming in suggest that IT sleuths have swooped in on the stars’ offices in Kochi, Bangalore and Chennai. The duo is known to have business interests, with Mohanlal even being touted as a possible owner of an IPL team.

On his part, Mammootty has been active in the films and television, besides owning a distribution company called Playhouse Entertainment that has recently bagged the rights to distribute the upcoming film The King and the Commissioner. The actor, who is a qualified lawyer by profession, was also reportedly involved in the Smart City project in Kochi. His name came up in this context a few times. He had reportedly associated with Dubai-based businessman MA Yousuf Ali and the Dubai Internet City officials.

His contemporary Mohanlal has several business ventures related to movie production, distribution, restaurants and packaged spices among other things. He owns Maxicab Cinemas and Entertainments, and Vismayas Max, a post-production studio. His banner Pranavam Artshas produced several films while his non-filmi business includes a restaurant chain in Dubai called Mohanlal’s Tastebuds. Additionally, he is said to have stake in the restaurant Travancore Court in Kochi and The Harbour in Bangalore.

Income tax sleuths have raided the houses, offices and hotels of Malayalam film stars Mammootty and Mohanlal in Kochi, Bangalore, Chennai and Thrivananthapuram , yesterday in a well planned, secretly dealt operation as per the  section 132. The searches started by 6.30 in the morning verifying records of various business ventures of the superstars including their film production and distribution activities. The team who has seized many documents is also reported to have found an elephant tusk from Mohanlal's Kochi residence and twenty lakhs currency from Mammootty's Chennai residence.

The IT men who had been observing huge differences in the IT returns of superstars also found that both has engaged the same chartered accountant wit this Head office at the capital city. Interestingly, the house of Mohanlal's close aid Antony Perumbavoor and also of Mammootty's daughter and son in law's hospital were also raided yesterday.

Mammootty  arrived the late evening yesterday from Chennai to answer the officials while Mohanlal is shooting at the coastal town of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. Mammootty was questioned for seven hours, till early morning 3 am and the officials said that he has well co operated with the department. IT officials will further question Mohanlal on the 25th and 26th of this month.

One bedroom of Mohanlal at his Kochi residence is yet to be opened as a bio-metric gadget which can be opened only with the fingerprints of close family members is engaged. This is the first time that the Super stars of Mollywood are being jointly raided. The media has already named as 'the biggest ever raid carried out simultaneously on M and M'. The raid is continuing today at various centres.

Responding to the news that the IT has seized many antiques of great value from his residence, Superstar Mohanlal has responded that all kerala knew about his interests to collect antique articles. 'I used to gather similar articles whenever i am shooting on various places that have such materials. And many media has earlier reported about my collections and i have never kept this as a secret' points out Lal who also made it clear that he will not be able to appear become the IT officers in the next couple of days. Lal further added that he will appear before the public shortly to clear off the confusions regarding the raids.

Meanwhile, Megastar Mammootty feel some kind of sabotage behind the event as the entire raid was planned on the day when he was away preparing for his son Salman's marriage function. Further he makes it clear that the twenty lakhs of currency found from his house is not black money, as he was maintaining this for the expenses of his son's marriage. Every kerelalite know how much it costs to hold a marriage, and this is also white money stored for such an occasion', adds the Megastar.

Reports suggests that IT officers are planning to pounce upon an young superstar and an actress who had made big money from appearing in the big films of the south, in the coming days.