I-T Dept searches premises of Kashyap, Taapse Pannu

3Income-Tax Department officials on Wednesday conducted searches at properties linked to filmmaker Anurag Kashyap and actor Taapsee Pannu in connection with an alleged tax evasion.

The I-T Department conducted searches at the houses of Kashyap and Pannu as also of filmmaker Vikas Bahl in connection with Kashyap’s production house Phantom Films. The search was carried out across 20 locations in Mumbai and Pune, according to sources.

The property of a talent management agency along with the co-owner of Phantom Films, Madhu Mantena, were also searched. Phantom Films, promoted by Kashyap, director-producer Vikramaditya Motwane, Bahl and Mantena, was dissolved in 2018.

Political angle

While the details of the alleged tax evasion have not been disclosed yet, opposition parties gave a political angle to the searches. Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Ashok Chavan said, “Such raids have become very common as the BJP uses the central agencies to target people speaking up against their governments.

“They (Kashyap and Pannu) are celebrities who voice their opinions regarding what is happening around the country.”

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav, too, criticised “such raids”, saying the “BJP government has employed IT, CBI and ED to conduct raids on vocal and upright political rivals for their character assassination”.

Farmers protest

Both Kashyap and Pannu recently expressed their support to the farmers’ protest.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, in a statement, said “The IT raids on Pannu and others are part of this desperate attempt by the government.”

At a BJP briefing today, however, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said that “the Income-Tax Department probes someone based on whatever information they get. The issue goes to court later.”