Actor Sonu Sood- the Messiah that helped migrants reached their home states during the nationwide lockdown last year- came again into the spotlight.
On Wednesday, September 15, 2021, Mumbai Income Tax Department officials descended on the actor’s Mumbai premises in connection to an alleged tax evasion probe.
According to the sources, Sonu Sood’s firm recently signed a deal with a real estate company in Lucknow.
The agreement follows complaints of an alleged tax evasion forcing the Income Tax department to investigate the matter.
The department surveyed at locations connected to Sood in Mumbai and Lucknow, and the survey continued till 7 pm on Wednesday. However, the department has made no seizures so far.
Action By the Income Tax Department
The Income Tax Department confirmed that a ‘survey’ at locations connected to Bollywood actor Sonu Sood is going on.
The department surveyed six sites in Mumbai and some other places linked to the actor. According to the officials, the action is in response to a real estate deal between one of the actor’s firms and a Lucknow based Real Estate Company.
The agreement is under the scanner of the department owing to an alleged tax evasion complaint.
The income tax action came days after the actor had a meeting with Arvind Kejriwal, the CM of Delhi.
The CM had named the actor as the brand ambassador for NCT Government’s Mentorship Programme for school students on August 27, 2021.
The ‘Desh ka Mentor’ programme will offer guidance to students to choose a career they want.
What are the Reactions?
Income Tax ‘Survey’ at the actor’s premises has left the entire country in distress. Social media is not convinced with this action, and people have different reactions and opinions to this.
AAP Leader Sanjay Singh’s Reaction
Aam Aadmi Party has given a sharp reaction regarding the Income Tax ‘survey’ on the premises of Sonu Sood.
Aam Aadmi Party leader and MP Sanjay Singh stated that ‘He is shocked to know that income tax raids are being conducted in the premises of a person who has worked day and night for the people during the pandemic.
What message does this convey? This is a very shameful incident that a person who should be honoured is getting Income Tax raids.
There have been speculations that the raids have taken place after the actor became the brand ambassador of AAP.
In response to these speculations, Singh said, ‘The public watches everything. Everyone has seen the actor’s work during the pandemic. We were already suspecting raids on our people. But, what does one want to prove by targeting such a person?’
Arvind Kejriwal’s Tweet
As soon as the news broke out, Arvind Kejriwal took to his official Twitter handle and said,” The path of truth faces a lot of obstacles, but, in the end, it wins.
Sonu has the blessings of lakhs of families he helped during the epidemic”. The CM has made this tweet in Hindi.
BJP Spokesperson Rubbished the Claims of a Political Link
People are linking this raid with the actor’s meet with Arvind Kejriwal. However, BJP spokesperson Asif Bhamla rubbished the claims.
He stated,’ Income Tax department’s action is just a search, not a raid. It is not necessary that a person who does charity can do nothing wrong.
The invasion is just a tipoff; it must be something at a lower level.”
Sonu is Silent
The Dabangg actor so far has refused to give any reaction, and he even refused to respond to the questions related to his possible plunge into politics.
The assumptions of the actor joining AAP or any other party have caught a rush since the actor met with Kejriwal.
Actor Sonu Sood had won accolades for the charity work he did during the Covid-19 induced lockdown.
However, this is not the first time the Income Tax department has paid a visit to the actor’s resident. In 2012, the actor’s house was raided by the Income Tax Officials when he bought a property worth Rs 30 crores.
