IT raids offices, homes of Mammootty, Mohanlal

CHENNAI: Income tax sleuths have raided the houses, offices and hotels of Malayalam film stars Mammootty and Mohanlal. Both the Kerala-based actors have been asked to appear before tax officials in person here.
The searches started at 6.30am on Friday morning with 80 officials simultaneously verifying records at their homes in Kochi and numerous offices in Chennai, and Thiruvananthapuram.
IT sleuths cited a huge gap in the IT returns and the income the superstars make in a year. Both have the same chartered accountant who has his head office in Thiruvananthapuram. The initial statements from both the actors have been taken.
The taxmen have reportedly seized several documents. Official sources report that the team has also found an elephant tusk from Mohanlal's Kochi residence.
Residence of Mohanlal's close aid Antony Perumbavoor is also being raided, said the official.
Mammootty is expected to appear before IT officials in the evening as he was in Chennai when the raids began, while Mohanlal may not arrive Friday as he is shooting in the coastal town of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu.
IT officials reached Rameswaram and took a statement from Mohanlal.
The extensive raids, it now appears, were kept secret by the IT department and also a well planned one as officials also closed in on the business associates of the two superstars.
The officials reached the home of Mohanlal in the Kerala capital where his aged mother resides.
For Mammootty, the raid came a day after his son's engagement in Chennai. Sources close to him say he has left for Kochi.
Mohanlal has interests in film production, distribution, IT education and also the hospitality industry. 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.

Those questioned include Mohanlal and Mammootty's main business partners, producer Antony Perumbavoor and Anto joseph respectively.
One bedroom of Mohanlal at his Kochi residence is yet to be opened because a bio-metric gadget makes entry possible only with the fingerprints of close family members.
Last week Kozhikode businessman K.A. Rauf, without naming anyone, said a Malayalam superstar and a business house in the state were engaged in a huge real estate deal in Maharashtra.
The IT officials 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.

The raids 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.
VR Jayaraj | Kochi

Income Tax officials on Friday conducted raids at the houses, offices and business establishments of Malayalam cinema’s megastars Mohanlal and Mammootty, both Padma Shri awardees, after it was found that they had amassed wealth disproportionate to their means. The raids, which started at about 5.00 am, were continuing even late in the evening

The houses, offices and business establishments of the two stars and their close associates at Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Bangalore and Chennai came under the raid simultaneously. The inspection at one of the houses of Mohanlal, a civilian Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army, yielded a huge collection of archeological items and a pair of elephant tusks.

I-T officials said that there were huge differences in the declared incomes and the actual earnings of the two film stars, who had wide-ranging business interests in Kerala and other states. According to ET Lukose, Director General, I-T (Investigations), it was clear prima facie that they had amassed wealth disproportionate to their means.

About 80 Income Tax officials in seven teams were conducting the raids. The sleuths also examined the records and documents of the film production and distribution companies with connections to the stars. The officials briefly questioned Mammootty in Chennai and Mohanlal in Rameswaram. They said they would question the duo in detail later.

The houses and offices of Antony Perumbavoor, Mohanlal’s driver and film producer, and Anto Jose, Mammootty’s friend and business associate, also came under the raid. They were also questioned by the officials. However, the department refused to reveal their findings but said they would need some time to compile the information collected by the different teams.

Sources in the department said that they had been verifying the income records of both the stars for the past six months and also that they had “actually” been under their scanner since April last. But they did not say whether these examinations and he raids were on the basis of any complaints.

I-T officials said that the raids could continue for three days. Currencies worth Rs 15 lakh were seized from Mammootty’s residence, they said. Documents of undeclared financial deals, including those on real estate, were said to have been found from the homes and offices of both the stars.

Apart from his house in Thevara, Kochi, Mohanlal’s family home at Mudvanmugal and his Vismaya Max Studio in Thiruvananthapuram also came under the raid. The officials raided the houses and offices of Mammootty, also chairman of the CPI(M)-controlled Malayalam Communications Ltd running three TV channels, at Kochi, Chennai and Bangalore.

I-T sleuths and Forest Department officials were examining whether Mohanlal had been keeping the elephant tusks at his house legally. However, Kerala Forest Minister KB Ganesh Kumar, himself a movie star known to be close to Mohanlal, said he had not ordered any probe into it. He said he had not come across any report on the finding of the ivory, he said.

Ganesh Kumar said Mohanlal and Mammootty had their rights as citizens and that it was yet to be known whether the former had kept the tusks with permission of the authorities. As per the Wildlife Conservation Act and Forest Act, individuals cannot keep articles like ivory but body parts of animals can be kept at homes with the special permission of the Forest Department.

Critic and social activist Sukumar Azheecode, who is fighting a defamation case against Mohanlal said Defence Minister AK Antony should request the President to withdraw the title of Lt Colonel awarded to the star in the context of the raids. “Ii is discomforting that those who should be the models for others were indulging in acts like tax evasion,” he said.

Rs 20 Lac seized from Malayalam superstar Mammootty's house

Kochi, Jul 23: Rs 20 Lakh was seized from superstar Mammootty's residence and the actor was grilled by the Income tax officials for nearly seven hours till early this morning.

The actor who was in Chennai returned to kochi last night and was grilled by I-T officials at his residence at Panampilly Nagar till 3am.

The actor "cooperated fully with the officials", said the sources.

Huge fan following had gathered at the airport when the actor arrived from Chennai with his wife.

"We have taken some documents pertaining to landed properties. It is too early to comment now. A final picture would emerge by Wednesday," said R Mohan, additional director general, Income Tax.

I-T officials had raided the houses of superstar Mammootty and Mohanlal on Jul 22 after there were reports that the actors were evading tax.

Mohanlal, who is currently shooting in Rameshwaram will be questioned by I-T officials on Jul 25 and in Kochi on Jul 26, said the additional director general.

The raids won't be conducted on Jul 23 (today), said sources.