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Business News/ News / India/  Income Tax Department raids properties of Taapsee Pannu, Anurag Kashyap
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Income Tax Department raids properties of Taapsee Pannu, Anurag Kashyap

The business transactions of films made under the banner of Phantom Films are also being probed, the sources said

Anurag Kashyap and Tapsee PannuPremium
Anurag Kashyap and Tapsee Pannu

The Income Tax Department's investigation unit on Wednesday conducted searches at premises linked to Bollywood actor Taapsee Pannu and film director Anurag Kashyap in Mumbai.

"The Income Tax department probes someone based on whatever information they get. The issue goes to court later," Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said during a BJP briefing today.

The searches are part of a tax evasion probe and conducted at about 30 locations in Mumbai and Pune, as per reports.

Some executives of celebrity and talent management company KWAN are also being raided.

The action is part of a tax evasion probe against Phantom Films, which was dissolved in 2018, and its then promoters Kashyap, director-producer Vikramaditya Motwane, producer Vikas Bahl and producer-distributor Madhu Mantena, the report said.

Tax department sources said some inter-linked transactions between the entities searched are under the scanner of the department. The raids, they added, are aimed at gathering more evidence to further probe tax evasion allegations against them.

The business transactions of films made under the banner of Phantom Films are also being probed, the sources said. The searches against Mantena are being carried out in context of his links with KWAN, of which he is a co-promoter.

Both Kashyap and Pannu, who worked together in the 2018 film “Manmarziyaan" and are now collaborating in the upcoming film “Dobaara", are known to be outspoken about their views on a range of issues.

Responding to a question at a press conference in Delhi, Union minister Prakash Javadekar rejected allegations that the raids against Kashyap and Pannu were linked to their comments, which are seen at times critical of the BJP.

"This is too much," he said to the question. "Probe agencies undertake investigations based on credible information and the matter later goes to courts as well," he added.

In Maharashtra, the debate intensified with state minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik describing the searches as an attempt to suppress the voices of those who speak against the Narendra Modi-led government.

"Central agencies like ED, CBI, and Income Tax are being used to target those who take an anti-government stand and speak against the policies of the regime," the minister told reporters in Mumbai.

"The premises of Anurag Kashyap and Pannu have been raided. Both were raising their voices against the Modi government," he said.

Pannu’s last tweet was on March 1, when she spoke on the Supreme Court asking a man accused of repeated rape whether he was willing to marry the woman. When the court was told he is already married, he was asked to seek regular bail from the concerned court. The 33-year-old actor, known for her films “Pink", “Thappad" and “Badla", put out a strong worded post on the matter. Kashyap, who had visited JNU and Shaheen Bagh during the anti-CAA protests last year and is known to be equally outspoken on a range of issues, has been quiet on Twitter in recent times except for occasionally retweeting others.

The 48-year-old, one of the most prominent new directors in Hindi cinema, is the man behind "Black Friday", "Dev D" and the two-part crime saga "Gangs of Wasseypur".

Founded in 2011, his production house Phantom Films produced films such as "Lootera", "Queen", "Ugly", "NH 10", "Masaan" and "Udta Punjab". However, it was disbanded seven years later.

Kashyap later launched a new production company called Good Bad Films while Motwane launched Andolan Films.

'IT raids on Kashyap, Pannu bid to curb voices of dissent'

Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik has said the I-T raids against Anurag Kashyap and Taapsee Pannu are an attempt to suppress the voices of those who speak against the Narendra Modi-led government.

"Central agencies like ED, CBI, and Income Tax are being used to target those who take an anti-government stand and speak against the policies of the regime," the minister said while speaking to reporters outside Vidhan Bhavan in the south Mumbai.

"The premises of Anurag Kashyap and Pannu have been raided. Both were raising their voices against the Modi government."

"This action has been carried out to suppress their voices," said Malik, who is also the chief spokesperson of Sharad Pawar-led NCP.

About Phantom Films

Founded in 2011, Phantom Films produced films such as "Lootera", "Queen", "Ugly", "NH 10", "Masaan" and "Udta Punjab".

Phantom Films was dissolved in October 2018 after sexual harassment charges were levied on Phantom Films' co-founder Vikas Bahl.

Kashyap later launched a new production company called Good Bad Films while Motwane launched Andolan Films.

The searches against Mantena are also being carried out in the context of his links with KWAN, of which he was a co-promoter.

Additionally, searches were on at locations associated with film producer Vikas Bahl and production and distribution company Phantom Films, HT reports.

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Published: 03 Mar 2021, 01:09 PM IST
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