ED seizes Rs 1.5 crore from ‘L2: Empuraan’ producer Gokulam Gopalan after multi-state raids
The Enforcement Directorate has recovered Rs 1.5 crore from premises related to Gokulam Gopalan, the co-producer of blockbuster Malayalam film ‘L2: Empuraan’ in searches conducted on Friday, the agency said. Further probe against Gopalan’s businesses is underway.
The central agency conducted searches at premises related to Gopalan, including at Gokulam Mall in Kozhikode, offices of Sree Gokulam Chit and Finance Co Ltd and other related premises in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The searches were conducted as part of alleged Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) violations committed by the company, the agency said.
The central agency on Saturday stated, “The Enforcement Directorate has recovered Rs 1.5 crore following a multi-state search conducted on April 4 in Tamil Nadu and Kerela in a FEMA case involving Gokulam Gopalan and his company Sree Gopalan Chit and Finance Co Ltd,” ANI reported.
The searches by the central agency came close to the heels of controversy over the recent Mohanlal film ‘L2: Empuraan’. The film faced backlash from rightwing groups including the Bharatiya Janata Party for the alleged portrayal of Godhra riots in the film. Sangh Parivar alleged the makers distorted facts regarding the riots in the film.
According to the agency, Gopalan and his firms are being probed for alleged FEMA violations to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore with certain NRIs and some related "unauthorised" transactions, PTI reported. The central agency claimed the recent searches are not related to the Empuraan controversy and they have been probing against Gopalan for FEMA violations since 2022.
Meanwhile, the Income Tax has issued a notice against actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran, seeking details regarding his income from films released in 2022. The IT department has issued notice to Sukumaran, the director of Empuraan, reportedly seeking details regarding his income from three films – Jana Gana Mana, Kaduva and Gold.
India