Anurag Kashyap, Taapsee Pannu Questioned By IT Officials For Over Five Hours

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap and actress Taapsee Pannu were questioned by Income Tax officials for over five hours in Pune yesterday. They were summoned by the IT authorities over their alleged tax evasion following a raid by the department at 30 locations across Mumbai and Delhi. The Manmarziyaan actress and director’s Mumbai residences were searched yesterday along with Queen director Vikas Bahl and producer Madhu Mantena’s homes. According to sources, the operation was carried out in connection with improper filing of taxes by the owners of the now defunct Phantom Films that was mutually dissolved in 2018.

The matter did not take much time to turn into a political debate with several opposition leaders alleging that both Pannu and Kashyap were in the central agency’s radar due to their outspoken criticism against the Narendra Modi government. Maharashtra cabinet minister Ashok Chavan called such practices on part of the centre very normal in today’s times where the latter uses central agencies to target those who speak against the BJP. Shiv Sena member Priyanka Chaturvedi took a jibe at the IT department and other authorities including the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) tweeting that she hopes for such units to emerge free from the bonded slavery of the country’s administration.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar came to the rescue of his party and dismissed speculations of deliberate targeting, calling the enquiry against the film personalities one based on credible investigations that can also be challenged in courts subsequently.

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