Income Tax Department Probes Tollywood for Second Day
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Synopsis
The Income Tax Department's investigation into prominent figures in Tollywood, including Dil Raju and production houses like Mythri Movie Makers, continues into its second day with extensive searches of properties and financial records in Hyderabad.
Key Takeaways
- Dil Raju is under investigation by the Income Tax Department.
- Searches are focused on financial discrepancies and tax payments.
- Investigations include the properties of Mythri Movie Makers and other notable figures.
- Recent high-grossing films like ‘Pushpa 2’ are part of the scrutiny.
- The IT raids are affecting the entire film industry.
Hyderabad, Jan 22 (NationPress) The Income Tax Department persisted with its investigations at the residences and offices of notable filmmaker and Telangana State Film Development Corporation (TSFDC) Chairman Dil Raju, along with Mythri Movie Makers and Mango Media in Hyderabad for a second consecutive day on Wednesday.
The operations, which commenced on Tuesday morning, continued at several sites including Dil Raju’s home in Ujas Villas, Jubilee Hills, his workplace, and the properties of his relatives on Wednesday.
Multiple teams of IT officials were scrutinizing the financial activities of the production companies that have recently released several major high-budget films.
These searches are reportedly part of a broader investigation into the discrepancies between their earnings and the Income Tax that has been remitted. The IT officials were examining crucial documents such as balance sheets and tax returns.
They were also inspecting bank lockers as part of the inquiry.
Dil Raju’s wife was brought to a bank on Tuesday, where lockers were accessed in her presence.
Dil Raju, whose birth name is V. Venkata Ramana, has recently produced films like ‘Game Changer’ and ‘Sankranthiki Vasthunam’ under the banner of Sri Venkateswara Creations.
‘Game Changer’, featuring Ram Charan and Kiara Advani, was released on January 10, 2025, while ‘Sankranthiki Vasthunam’ premiered during the Sankranthi festival last week.
The film, starring Venkatesh, Aishwarya Rajesh, and Meenakshi Chaudhary, has emerged as one of the highest-grossing projects of Dil Raju.
Additionally, the IT searches extended to the properties of Dil Raju's family members, including his daughter Hansita Reddy, producer Sireesh, who co-owns Sri Venkateswara Creations, and director Anil Ravipudi.
In response to the IT investigations, Dil Raju mentioned that he is not the sole individual facing scrutiny.
He claimed that the IT raids are being conducted across the entire film industry.
Further searches were also executed at the properties of Mythri Movie Makers, the creators of ‘Pushpa 2’.
The searches targeted the residences of Mythri founders Naveen Yemeni and Yalamanchili Ravi Shankar, CEO Cherry, and other significant figures linked to the leading production house.
‘Pushpa 2’, starring Allu Arjun, reportedly grossed over Rs 1,500 crore after its release last month.
