New Delhi: Income Tax Department on Wednesday conducted raids at the residence and other properties of filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, Taapsee Pannu and Vikas Bahl. The search operation went on for three days, and there is a high possibility of it continuing for another day.
Soon after the news broke, netizens flooded the internet with varied reactions. However, while most of the celebrities from the film fraternity opted to stay mum on the issue, actress Kangana Ranaut and filmmaker Ashoke Pandit tweeted on the same:
जो चोर होते हैं वो सिर्फ़ चोर होते हैं, जो मातृभूमि को बेचकर उसके टुकड़े करना चाहते हैं वो सिर्फ़ ग़द्दार होते हैं, और जो ग़द्दारों का साथ देते हैं वो भी चोर होते हैं...
क्यूँकि चोर चोर मौसेरे भाई होते हैं
और जिससे चोरों को डर लगता है
वो साधारण मानव नहीं नरेंद्र मोदी होता है। pic.twitter.com/awmy4EVGDF— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) March 4, 2021
They are not just #TaxChor huge transactions of black money has happened, did they get that money for provoking #Shaheenbagh riots or #republicdayviolence ...
From where the black money came and where did they send the black money which isn’t accounted for ? https://t.co/XSUhBQYpKA— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) March 4, 2021
Kwan agency and Phantom production house were the prominent accused in #MeToo many rape allegations/ cases on them but Bullydawood protected them,people like Anurag Kashyap are not only rape accused but they also tried to justify Shushant’s death, who all think its divine justice
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) March 4, 2021
Every minute the numbers are rising, this is only the money they found clues for, one can only imagine what could be the actual numbers of money laundering,have been exposing terrorism racket of tukde gang in the under belly of Bullydawood, these are terrorists not just #TaxChor https://t.co/y4cOAMj00e
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) March 4, 2021
कभी किसी नारी का श्राप व्यर्थ नहीं जाता, आज सब रेपिस्टस की लंका लग गयी, कई विक्टिम्ज़ ने phantom और kwan के ख़िलाफ़ आवाज़ उठाई लेकिन उनको रातों रात ग़ायब कर दिया गया, और Bullydawood ने इन दरिंदों को सर आँखों पे बिठाया, लेकिन आज सब rapists की लंका लग गयी,और अब bullydawood का नम्बर https://t.co/zuYItLCtli
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) March 4, 2021
Data can be retrieved, but these are small players, one can only imagine how deep rooted is terrorism in the film industry and how these bhands breaking India for money, government should set good example for everyone, they can’t sell tukde of this nation to terrorism. Jai Hind
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) March 5, 2021
Is it a coincidence that each and every stake holder of Phantom n Kwan has been accused by multiple woman of rape, molestation n harassment. If you don’t respect women,your very moral fibre is wrong, you are a born criminal ,industry killed #MeToo but look one can’t escape karma.
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) March 5, 2021
It has been learnt that Anurag Kashyap and Taapsee Pannu, who are currently in Pune for film shooting were quizzed by the officials separately for about 6 hours at a hotel.
“Evidence of cash receipts by the leading actress amounting to Rs 5 crore has been recovered. Further investigation is going on. Apart from this, non-genuine/bogus expenditure to related concerns by the leading producers/director having tax implication of about Rs. 20 crore has been detected. Similar findings have been made in the case of the leading actress also,” reads the official statement by the Income Tax department which they released on Thursday, March 4.
हिसाब माँगने वाले से आज हिसाब माँगा जा रहा है !
इसी को कहते हैं दिन पलटना !
काग़ज़ नहीं दिखाने वाले आज काग़ज़ दिखा रहे हैं ! https://t.co/mjJ0XnafDT— Ashoke Pandit (@ashokepandit) March 4, 2021
As per initial reports, a discrepancy of around Rs 300 crore has been uncovered during the probe. The company officials reportedly failed to explain this discrepancy. “During the search, evidence of huge suppression of income by the leading Film Production house compared to the actual box office collections has been unearthed. The company officials have not been able to explain the discrepancy of around Rs. 300 crore,” the official statement by the Income Tax department said.
“Evidence related to manipulation and under-valuation of share transactions of the production house amongst the film directors and shareholders, having tax implication of about Rs. 350 crore has been found and is being further investigated,” the statement added.
The I-T raid was also conducted at properties linked to Madhu Mantena’s KWAN Talent Management Agency in Mumbai. Around 28 premises including residences and offices are being searched. Two leading film production companies, a leading actress and two Talent Management companies in Mumbai are under scanner.
Meanwhile, digital data in the form of emails, WhatsApp chats, hard disks etc have been seized, the statement revealed. Around seven lockers have been put under restraint and the search is still on at all the premises.
The Bollywood celebrities named here are yet to comment on the issue.
