I-T Dept swoops down on Mamootty, Mohanlal
In a daybreak swoop, Income Tax sleuths knocked at the residences, offices and business establishments of Malayalam superstars Mohanlal and Mammootty in over five cities and have unearthed big disparities between their actual and declared sources of income.
According to a senior I-T department official, the raids which began around 6 am, were carried out on 20 premises of the stars in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Chennai, Ooty and Bangalore. The places searched included Mohanlal’s houses in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Chennai, his animation studios and hotels in Kochi and Bangalore.
Mammootty’s residences at Panampilly Nagar in Kochi and Adayar in Chennai as well as his business establishment were raided. About 80 I-T officials from Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were involved in the raids which are likely to continue for another couple of days.
Reports said cash and documents relating to deposit of funds and land transactions were unearthed in the raids. Two elephant tusks were recovered from the Kochi residence of Mohanlal, who is an avid collector of antiques. Two lockers using biometric technology at the Thevara residence of Lal in Kochi have not yet been opened.
Raids were also conducted at the residence of Lal’s driver and producer of many of his films Antony Perumbavoor, and another producer.
Mammootty was at his residence in Chennai when the raids occurred, while Mohanlal was away shooting in Rameswaram. Sources said both stars cooperated with the raids and statements were taken from them during the exercise.
However, both of them have also been asked to report before the officials who are expected to take three days to complete the exercise. I-T department sources indicated that the raids were conducted after discrepancies were noticed between the returns filed by the stars and their known sources of income.
Meanwhile, eminent writer and social commentator Sukumar Azhikode has urged Defence Minister A K Antony to withdraw the honorary title of lieutenant colonel conferred on Mohanlal by the Territorial Army in the wake of the raids.
“Such thieves ruling the roost in the field of art are a blot on our culture,” said Azhikode, who has had a running battle with Mohanlal over certain remarks the actor made about him. Mohanlal had appeared in a court recently in this connection.
