I-T Raids on Leading Tollywood Filmmakers Continue for Third Day

Hyderabad: The Income Tax Department continued its raids on the premises of prominent Tollywood filmmakers for a third consecutive day on Thursday.

Raids Target Dil Raju and Other Filmmakers

The searches, which began on Tuesday, persisted at the residence, office, and family-related properties of well-known producer V. Venkata Ramana Reddy (popularly known as Dil Raju), as well as at various locations associated with his business. This included Dil Raju’s residence in Ujas Villas, Jubilee Hills, his office, and the premises of his relatives.

Searches at Production Houses

The raids also extended to leading production houses like Mythri Movie Makers and Mango Media. Although the department has not issued an official statement, there are indications that the I-T officials found discrepancies between the earnings of some recent films and the income taxes paid.

The searches are believed to be related to films like Pushpa 2: The Rule, Game Changer, and Sankranthiki Vasthunam, which were released recently.

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Films Under Scrutiny

Game Changer and Sankranthiki Vasthunam were produced by Dil Raju under the banner of Sri Venkateswara Creations. Game Changer, starring Ram Charan and Kiara Advani, was released on January 10, while Sankranthiki Vasthunam, featuring Venkatesh, Aishwarya Rajesh, and Meenakshi Chaudhary, hit theaters during Sankranthi last week and became one of Dil Raju’s highest-grossing films.

Raids on Dil Raju’s Family Members

In addition to Dil Raju’s properties, searches were also carried out at the properties of his family members, including his daughter Hansita Reddy, producer Sireesh (co-owner of Sri Venkateswara Creations), and director Anil Ravipudi.

Mythri Movie Makers Raided

The raids also targeted the properties of Mythri Movie Makers, the production company behind Pushpa 2. This included the houses of Mythri founders Naveen Yemeni and Yalamanchili Ravi Shankar, CEO Cherry, and other key people connected with the company.

Focus on ‘Pushpa 2’ Earnings

Pushpa 2, starring Allu Arjun, was released last month and reportedly grossed over Rs 1,500 crore. The I-T department also raided director Sukumar’s office and other premises on Wednesday.

I-T Officials Inspect Documents and Bank Lockers

I-T officials are scrutinizing key documents, including balance sheets and income tax returns, and inspecting bank lockers as part of the investigation. On Tuesday, Dil Raju’s wife Tejaswini was taken to a bank, where lockers were opened in her presence. Several teams of I-T officials are also reviewing the financial transactions of the involved production houses.

Suspected Tax Evasion

The I-T department is reportedly investigating suspected tax evasion and verifying financial documents. The ongoing searches are part of an inquiry into alleged financial discrepancies and unaccounted income. The officials are meticulously reviewing financial records and transactions to identify any potential tax evasion.