Income tax sleuths knock at Mammooty, Mohanlal’s doors (Second Lead, changing dateline)
July 22nd, 2011 - 1:29 pm ICT by IANSKochi, July 22 (IANS) Seven teams of income tax officials Friday raided the homes and offices of Mammootty and Mohanlal across four cities, with both the southern superstars believed to be owning huge business interests in various sectors.
IT sleuths knocked on their doors at 6.30 a.m. A team of 80 officials simultaneously verified records at their homes in Kochi and offices in Chennai, Bangalore and Thiruvananthapuram.
During the searches, a pair of elephant tusks was recovered from Mohanlal’s home here, say income tax officials.
Both superstars have the same chartered accountant who has his head office in Thiruvananthapuram.
For Mammootty, the raid came a day after his son’s engagement in Chennai. Sources close to him indicate he was supposed to have left for Kochi Friday morning.
Mohanlal is at a shooting location in the coastal town of Rameshweram in Tamil Nadu. He has interests in film production, distribution, IT education, the financial sector. Besides, he is an active player in the real estate sector along with his close friends.
Mammootty’s interests also include a film production house and he is the patron of a new boutique hospital in Bangalore.
Last week Kozhikode businessman K.A. Rauf, without naming anyone, said a Malayalam superstar and a business house in the state are engaged in a huge real estate deal in Maharashtra.
The IT sleuths locked the homes from inside and no one was allowed to come in or go out as they prepared their report based on the superstars’ IT returns.
Reacting to the raids, another top Malayalam film star on condition of anonymity told IANS that it was a positive move. “Let the law be the same for all,” the star told IANS.
The raids also come at a time when the two superstars, after nearly three decades in the industry, appear to be losing their iron grip, with most recent films bombing at the box office.
- Income tax raids on Mammooty, Mohanlal (Third Lead) - Jul 22, 2011
- IT raids on superstars Mammootty, Mohanlal on (Roundup) - Jul 23, 2011
- IT team arrives at Mohanlal's Kochi home - Jul 26, 2011
- Malayalam superstars feel heat of IT raids - Jul 23, 2011
- Mammootty, Mohanlal together have Rs.30 crore undisclosed income - Aug 12, 2011
- Film star-turned-minister bats for Mohanlal - Jul 22, 2011
- IT raids could hold more blows for Mammootty, Mohanlal - Jul 24, 2011
- Mohanlal should be stripped of honorary Lt. Colonel rank: Azhikode - Jul 22, 2011
- Mohanlal set for 300th film - Aug 07, 2011
- Malayalam superstar Dileep attends tax department bash - Jul 25, 2011
- Mammootty back to films, plans son's marriage - Aug 05, 2011
- Malayalam filmdom failed to script succes (2011 In Retrospect) - Dec 21, 2011
- Mamta Mohandas weds family friend - Dec 28, 2011
- Kerala film industry's biggest showman Navodaya Appachan dies - Apr 24, 2012
- Kerala Muslims celebrate Eid - Nov 07, 2011
Tags: business interests, chartered accountant, close friends, coastal town, elephant tusks, film production, financial sector, friday morning, iron grip, malayalam film, mammootty, mammooty, mohanlal, production distribution, real estate sector, recent films, superstars, tax officials, thiruvananthapuram, three decades