IT raid at residences, offices of Malayalam Superstars

Income Tax investigators carried out raids in offices and residenes at Banglore, Chennai and Kerala of Malayalam Superstars Mamootty and Mohan Lal.

The raid started in the early hours of Friday and continued till 3.30 a.m on Saturday. Mamootty was at his house at Adayar in Chennai in connection with his son Dulquar' s engagement, which took place on Thursday. Mohan Lal was at Valinokkam, a place 50 k.m away from Ramanathapuram in Chennai, in the location of his upcoming film `Pranayam', directed by Blessy. He was in full make up for a song sequence with Jayapradha. Though he had co-operated with the officers. They did not obstruct the shoot. After each shot Lal answered to all the questions. He was questioned from 1 pm to 3.30 p.m. Later Lal went to a lodge in Erwadi where he was staying and officers followed and searched his room. Here he was questioned upto 6.30 p,m.
In Lal's house at Thevara in Kochi, Chennai Egmore, Thiruvanthapuram Mudavan Mugal, his Hotel Travancore Court, Vismaya Max Studio at Eranakulam and Max Lab at Kazhakootam, distributing company and his partner Antony's (Perubavoor) residence and offices were the places raided by the imcome tax officers simultaneously with the help of its various units in southern states.
Mamootty's house in Kadavanthra in Kochi, house at Adayar Chennai, Motherhood Hospital in Banglore, film distribution company Play House, house at B.T.M Layout and his partner Anto Joseph's office were searched.

Both actors co-operated with income Tax officers and answered each and every questions. IT officers could find assets and documents that indicated possession of unaccounted income and wealth mismatched with their declared income. Currency of 25 lakhs seized from Mammooty's house and captured two tusks of Elephant from Mohanlal's house. Keeping tusks at home is punishable under the wild life protection act.

Reports say, in Lal's residence there had a collections of valuable antique materials. IT sleuths also found two rooms locked with biometric lockers. As they could not open it, sealed the rooms for further formalities. But Mohanlal said, rooms were not vaults but home theatres. The raid will continue today also. Mamootty reached at Eranakulam on Friday night. Mohan Lal will reach most probably on Saturday.