Film Industry Sources Tell The LINK Use Of “Black Money” Laundering In The Production Of Punjabi Films And Tax Evasion The Reason Behind Raids
Sleuths of the Indian income tax (I-T) department raided houses of popular Punjabi singers – Canada-based Gippy Grewal, Diljit Dosanjh, who had just returned from Canada where he had been shooting Jatt and Juliet 2, and Miss Pooja and the premises of two Punjabi film-producing firms on Wednesday. Film Industry sources tell the LINK that use of “Black Money” (illegal money laundering) in the production of Punjabi films and tax evasion is the reason behind the raids. It remains to be seen if Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) will look into the books of agents of these stars, producers and distributors in Canada who organize the shootings of their films in Canada as well as act as distributors.
CHANDIGARH – The tremendous financial success of Jatt and Juliet starring Diljit Dosanjh and Carry On Jatta starring Indo-Canadian singer-actor Gippy Grewal may have boosted their egos where they were acting like Bollywood superstars but their ego trips were brought down to earth this week with damning raids by Indian Income tax sleuths, who raided the premises of some Dosanjh, Grewal, Miss Pooja and two prominent film distributors and producers.
Film Industry sources tell the LINK that use of “Black Money” (illegal money laundering) in the production of Punjabi films and tax evasion is the reason behind the raids.
“They’re basically cleaning money by making a lot of these Punjabi films and with the current success of a few, more black money has come into the industry since you can clean your black money into white by selling the rights and make profits which are also in white money,” said one local Punjabi film industry official with knowledge of the industry, who didn’t want his name used.
He even went further said that human smuggling is also part of the industry, where if they leave even four to five people from the unit in Canada or some other country they are shooting the film – it can make them more than the actual cost of producing the film.
It remains to be seen if Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) will look into the books of agents of these stars, producers and distributors in Canada who organize the shootings of their films in Canada as well as act as distributors.
Harjit Singh Sohi, director, investigations, I-T, said separate teams of the department began raids at the houses of Dosanjh, who had just returned from Canada where he had been shooting Jatt and Juliet 2 in the month of November, Miss Pooja and Grewal in the morning. “Simultaneously, the premises of Batra Films and Speed Records were raided in Jalandhar,” he said. The raids were still in progress till Wednesday night and more raid were being planned.
An official who was part of a raiding party said I-T teams swooped on the houses of Dosanjh in Dugri (Ludhiana), Miss Pooja in Rajpura (Patiala district) and Grewal in SAS Nagar district. Sources said the singers and firms were suspected of evading income tax.
As per unconfirmed reports, the teams recovered unaccounted cash of Rs. 80 lakh during the raids, while several documents regarding business deals by these singers and firms were also seized.
Department officials disclosed that the teams found several undeclared bank accounts of these singers and firms and sealed some bank lockers also.
Dosanjh and Grewal had starred in this year’s blockbuster Punjabi hits ‘Jatt and Juliet’ and ‘Carry on Jatta’, respectively, while Miss Pooja is the leading female singer in the Punjabi music industry today.
Meanwhile, department sources said the raiding teams were led by joint commissioner (income tax) Munish Sareen, Harjit Singh Sohi and deputy director (I-T) Ghanshyam Sharma.
In Jalandhar, I-T sleuths raided the premises of Speed Records in Model Town, Ruby Electronics at Phagwara Gate, and the residence of Dinesh Aulakh (Speed Records) in Seth Hukam Chand Colony, sources said, adding that offices and residences of partners of Batra Films had also been searched.
In SAS Nagar, I-T officials reached Grewal’s house in Sector 67 around 7:15 am. His wife and two school-going children were at home, while the singer-actor has gone abroad for the shooting of an upcoming movie.
Income tax sleuths also conducted searches at the house of Grewal’s cousin Sammi Singh, a brick-kiln owner, in Sector 68. Sammi is also a partner in Grewal’s upcoming film, ‘Lucky di unlucky story’.
Sources said most of the Punjabi singers were also co-producers of films and preferred payment in cash for their albums and shows.
PROMINENT TARGETS
Daljit Dosanjh (singer-turned-actor)
Gippy Grewal (singer-turned-actor)
Speed Films and Records (film producers-distributors)
Batra Films (film producers-distributors)
Miss Pooja (singer)
Darshan Pal Singh Grewal (producer)
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