Income Tax Dept Conducts 72-Hour Raid on Bollywood Production Houses — Rs 120 Crore Undisclosed Income Found
The Income Tax Department completed a 72-hour search operation across 18 premises linked to top production companies in Mumbai, discovering unaccounted cash, foreign invoices and property documents.
Representative image. Photo: Nationalism News
The Income Tax Department conducted a massive 72-hour search operation across 18 premises linked to three major Bollywood production companies in Mumbai and the surrounding suburbs, uncovering Rs 120 crore in undisclosed income in the form of unaccounted cash, undeclared foreign invoices and property documents for assets registered in benami names.
The raids, carried out by over 150 officials from the Mumbai and Delhi IT departments simultaneously, targeted the offices, residences and associate companies of three prominent producers. Documents seized include dubbing agreements, distribution contracts and receipts for international co-productions showing inflated expenses that were used to launder money.
Sources in the IT Department said "hawala transactions routed through tax havens in Mauritius, Dubai and Singapore" were found in the documents seized. The total quantum of tax evasion being investigated is estimated at Rs 450 crore, with penalties that could treble this amount under the Black Money Act.
This is not the first major IT action against Bollywood. In 2022, raids on a major production house led to recovery of Rs 67 crore and subsequent tax payment of Rs 170 crore. The industry was also under scanner in 2024 when the Enforcement Directorate investigated foreign currency payments to overseas talent without proper disclosure.
The Producers Guild of India issued a statement saying it "is cooperating with all regulatory agencies" and that member companies are "committed to full tax compliance." The Central Board of Direct Taxes confirmed the raids in a press statement without naming the production houses, citing ongoing investigations.
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