Rakul Preet Singh denies IT raid link: 'Search was not pertaining to me'
Synopsis
Rakul Preet Singh went on the offensive after media reports linked her to an Income Tax sweep across 12 Mumbai locations tied to producer Vashu Bhagnani and Panorama Studios. Her social media post denies illegal foreign remittance, Benami property links, and even expensive gifts — and closes with a pointed demand that outlets retract what she called false and malicious coverage.
Key Takeaways
Rakul Preet Singh publicly denied any personal connection to Income Tax Department searches on 5 October 2026 .
She stated the searches were ‘not pertaining to her’ and that she has paid taxes since the age of 20 years .
The IT Department reportedly searched 12 locations in Mumbai linked to producer Vashu Bhagnani and Panorama Studios .
Investigators were allegedly examining suspected routing of funds abroad under the guise of film financing.
Rakul denied involvement in illegal foreign remittance and denied holding any Benami property in India or abroad.
She called on media outlets that published reports linking her to the raids to retract and issue corrections.
Bollywood actress Rakul Preet Singh on Monday, 5 October 2026, publicly refuted reports connecting her to recent Income Tax Department searches, stating categorically that the raids were not directed at her. The clarification came after searches were reportedly conducted at 12 locations in Mumbai linked to her father-in-law and film producer Vashu Bhagnani and production house Panorama Studios.
What Rakul Said
Sharing a detailed note on social media, the actress said: “It’s heartbreaking to see that there’s a growing trend amongst the self-styled online reporters and some mainstream media journalists to sensationalise the news without verifying facts. Let’s therefore set the record straight once for all. The search was not pertaining to me.”
She further asserted her background and financial conduct: “I am from the Armed Forces background and had no Godfather in the Industry. I have come up through sheer hard work and as a responsible law-abiding citizen have been paying my due taxes since the age of 20 years.”
Denial of Foreign Remittance and Benami Property Allegations
Rakul specifically addressed two categories of alleged wrongdoing that had circulated in media reports. She wrote: “I am not involved in any kind of illegal foreign remittance in personal capacity or on behalf of any production house. I do not hold any Benami property on behalf of anyone anywhere in the country or abroad. Neither has anyone ever gifted me any property at any time, nor do I accept such expensive gifts as a principle.”
The denial covers the core allegations reportedly being investigated — that funds were routed overseas under the pretext of financing film projects, a charge the actress distanced herself from entirely.
The IT Department Searches
The Mumbai Income Tax Department had conducted searches across 12 locations as part of an investigation into suspected financial irregularities. The searches were reportedly linked to Vashu Bhagnani and Panorama Studios, with officials allegedly examining whether funds had been routed abroad under the guise of film project financing. Rakul’s name had surfaced in some media reports in connection with the searches, which she has now firmly rejected.
Call for Media Accountability
The actress did not stop at denial — she used the post to call out what she described as irresponsible reporting. “I urge all those who published these false, malicious and speculative reports to retract them and clarify the facts. I understand that everyone running a media business, however big, has their own commercial pressures. But it cannot come at the cost of facts. And certainly not at the cost of someone’s reputation and livelihood,” she wrote.
This comes amid growing scrutiny of how entertainment media handles tax and financial investigations involving film industry figures, where association — even indirect — can quickly translate into damaging headlines. The IT searches involving Panorama Studios are part of a broader pattern of fiscal scrutiny of Bollywood-adjacent businesses in recent years.
Point of View
But a pre-emptive rebuttal of foreign remittance and Benami property allegations that had not yet solidified into formal charges. That specificity suggests she or her team were aware of the precise contours of the investigation — and chose to get ahead of it. The broader question is one of process: the IT Department has yet to issue a formal statement naming any individual, which means media reports were operating on unofficial sourcing. The incident highlights the pattern, familiar in Bollywood tax probes, where proximity to an investigated party becomes conflated with culpability — reputational damage that retractions rarely fully undo.
NationPress
5 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Rakul Preet Singh say about the Income Tax raids?
Rakul Preet Singh clarified on 5 October 2026 that the Income Tax searches were not related to her, saying the search was ‘not pertaining to me.’ She posted a detailed note on social media denying any illegal foreign remittance, Benami property holdings, or acceptance of expensive gifts.
Who was the Income Tax Department actually targeting in the Mumbai searches?
According to reports, the Mumbai Income Tax Department conducted searches at 12 locations linked to film producer Vashu Bhagnani and Panorama Studios. Officials were reportedly probing suspected routing of funds overseas under the pretext of financing film projects.
What is a Benami property, and why did Rakul deny holding one?
A Benami property is one held in someone else’s name to conceal the real owner’s identity, which is illegal under the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act. Rakul denied holding any such property in India or abroad on behalf of any individual, pre-empting one of the categories of alleged irregularity that media reports had associated with the searches.
Why did Rakul Preet Singh call out the media?
She urged outlets that published reports linking her to the raids to retract them, stating they were false, malicious, and speculative. She argued that commercial pressures cannot justify reporting that damages an individual’s reputation and livelihood without factual verification.
What is Rakul Preet Singh’s connection to Vashu Bhagnani?
Vashu Bhagnani is Rakul Preet Singh’s father-in-law and a prominent Bollywood film producer. Her familial connection to him is the reported reason her name appeared in media coverage of the Income Tax searches, a link she has firmly distanced herself from in her public statement.
