Kochi: Even as the Enforcement Directorate sleuths grilled Gokulam Gopalan, the co-producer of the now controversial film Empuraan, for the second time in two days, it’s being pointed out that the raid is not due to the film.
It was on Saturday that the ED sleuths raided the homes and offices of Gopalan in Chennai and Kozhikode, and he was questioned for several hours in Chennai.
On Monday afternoon, Gopalan was spotted entering the ED office here, and after more than six hours, when he walked out, he said, “The ED has all the right to ask questions and I have answered all what they asked me. I have done no wrong,” said Gopalan.
ED sleuths have already pointed out that the questioning was done after they found that Gopalan’s chit fund company had taken Rs 371.80 crore in cash and Rs 220.74 crore by cheque from people living abroad, besides making large cash payments to these individuals, which is against the laws floated by the Reserve Bank of India.
Gokulam has invested heavily in his own chit fund business, media houses, sports clubs and films.
While the ED has initiated the probe against Gopalan, the Income Tax officials have now served notices to Empuraan director Prithviraj (who also plays a lead role in the film) and also another co-producer, Antony Perumbavoor. Both these national investigating agencies have denied that these raids are due to the Empuraan effect.
The probe centres on alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) amounting to Rs 1,000 crore.
It involves suspected transactions with certain NRIs and unauthorised financial activities.
In addition to FEMA violations, the agency is also investigating several complaints of cheating against Gokulam’s company for potential breaches under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Trouble began for those behind the film Empuraan after RSS mouthpiece Organiser published a scathing critique, accusing the film of spreading misinformation about the Gujarat riots and tarnishing national institutions.
By now, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, newly elected CPI-M general secretary and the top Congress leaders have slammed the Centre for using national agencies against those who do not toe their line.
(IANS)
