Kashyap, Pannu among film personalities raided
MUMBAI: The income tax department on Wednesday raided the homes and offices of filmmakers Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl, actor Taapsee Pannu, and other film and media personalities, triggering allegations from Opposition parties that the action was politically motivated to muzzle dissent.
An I-T official said the raids, which began at 8am and continued late into the evening, were carried at least 30 places in Mumbai and Pune, and included the premises of Reliance Entertainment executive Shibhashish Sarkar, talent agency Exceed Entertainment executive Afsar Zaidi and the now-dissolved production company, Phantom Films.
A second I-T official said
Kashyap and Pannu were questioned in Pune.
Residence and official premises of Kashyap and Pannu in Versova, Goregaon and Andheri were raided. Pannu’s PR company KRI Entertainment was also searched. Kashyap and Pannu have criticised several policies and leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The official said the searches were part of a tax evasion probe against Phantom Films, started by Kashyap, Bahl, director Vikramaditya Motwane and producer Madhu Mantena. The company opened in 2011 but shut in 2018 after sexual harassment allegations against Bahl. In March 2015, Reliance Entertainment procured 50% stake in the company. Mantena’s premises were also raided.
All businesses, financial transactions, talent and event management contracts by Phantom with other entities is under scrutiny, added the official. Investigators said they seized documents and electronic evidence, and were examining them. A second official said bank accounts and lockers of these personalities would also undergo scrutiny and the searches might continue for a few more days.
In Maharashtra, the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi criticised the raids and said it was an attempt to suppress voices of people speaking against the central government.