Anurag Kashyap and Taapsee Pannu have criticized many policies and leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Mumbai| The Income Tax Department on Wednesday raided the houses and offices of several film personalities including filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl, actress Taapsee Pannu and producer Madhu Mantena. Not only this, the Income Tax Department has interrogated Anurag and Tapsee Pannu for hours. The Income Tax Department is investigating people associated with Phantom Films. Phantom Films is accused of tax evasion. This action of the Income Tax Department is alleged by the opposition parties as politically motivated and an act to suppress the voice of dissatisfaction.
An Income Tax department official said that the raids at the house of these stars started at 8 am on Wednesday and continued till late evening. Officials said raids were conducted at more than 30 locations in Mumbai and Pune. Some executives of celebrity and talent management company Kwan have also been raided. The raids were carried out in connection with the investigation of tax evasion against Phantom Films and its promoter Kashyap, director-producer Vikramaditya Motwane, producer Vikas Bahl and producer-distributor Madhu Mantena. Production house Phantom Films was started by Kashyap, which closed in 2018.
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Another Income Tax department official said that Anurag Kashyap and Taapsee Pannu were questioned in Pune. Both of them were interrogated at a hotel in Pune and during this time, the authorities asked them many questions related to the tax evasion case. Kashyap and Pannu’s houses and official premises were raided in Versova, Goregaon and Andheri. Search operation was also conducted on Pannu’s PR company KRI Entertainment. Anurag Kashyap and Taapsee Pannu have criticized many policies and leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The official said some of the transactions between these institutions were in the eyes of the department and the action was taken to collect evidence to pursue the investigation of tax evasion allegations, the official said. Phantom Films was founded in 2011. It was started by Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl, director Vikramaditya Motwane and producer Madhu Mantena, but the company shut down in 2018 after Vikas Bahl was accused of sexual harrassment. Films like Lootera, Queen, Ugly, NH-10, Masaan and Udta Punjab were produced under its banner. Later, Kashyap started a new production company, Good Bad Films, while Motwane started Andolan Films. Mantena was the co-promoter of Kwan, raids were also conducted against him.
The official said that they are investigating all business, financial transactions, talent and event management contracts with other institutions. Investigators said they have seized documents and electronic evidence and are investigating them. Another officer said that bank accounts and lockers of these personalities will also be investigated and this search operation can continue for a few more days.
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