Income Tax Department officials descended on the premises linked to actor Sonu Sood in Mumbai and some other places on Wednesday in connection with an alleged tax evasion probe, official sources.
They said the action is being carried out in at least half a dozen locations in the metropolitan city and Lucknow.
It was not immediately clear if the action was being undertaken at Sood’s residence also.
A real estate deal is under the scanner of the department, they said.
The actor grabbed the national spotlight for helping migrants reach their home states during the nationwide lockdown clamped last year in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Delhi government, led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, had recently declared that 48-year-old Sood will be the brand ambassador of the Aam Aadmi Party government’s ‘Desh ka mentors’ programme under which students will be guided in making their career choices.
“A recent deal between Sonu Sood’s company and a Lucknow-based real estate firm is under the scanner. The survey operation has been initiated on allegations of tax evasion on this deal,” sources in the Income Tax department said.
The tax raids come days after the actor’s high-profile meeting with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who declared him the brand ambassador for his government’s mentorship programme for school students in the capital. After the meeting, Sonu Sood denied any plans for a political debut with Mr Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Sonu Sood’s humanitarian efforts endeared him to a legion of fans across the country in the past year. The 48-year-old actor won wide praise for his charity work during the pandemic. He organised special flights and buses home for migrants stranded by last year’s lockdown and in April-May, at the peak of the second wave, he organised oxygen for Covid patients.
Though he has never shown any inclination towards politics, speculation ran wild after his meeting with the AAP chief and rumours suggested the actor may contest next year’s Punjab election.
Sonu Sood was recently made brand ambassador of Delhi Government’s Desh Ke Mentor program for children in government schools of Delhi.
“Sonu ji’s association with this program will definitely prove helpful in the bright future of the children,” Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had said.
Sonu Sood, reacting in a tweet had said, “Truly honoured and humbled to be the brand ambassador of Desh Ke Mentor a programme which has given me an opportunity to mentor lakhs of students across India. Thank you so much @ArvindKejriwal sir for making me a part of this initiative. Jao Hind (sic).”
