IT raids at AGS Entertainment, Cinemas for tax evasion, actor Vijay picked for questioning
Chennai/UNI: The Income-Tax GST wing officials today conducted raids at the residences and business premises of popular film screens AGS Cinemas following complaints of tax evasion.
IT department sources said the raids were being held at 20 locations, including at the residence of AGS Entertainment Founder Kalpathi S Aghoram, his office premises and at the screens owned by him in the city and on the outskirts.
Kalpathi Aghoram, who is also the Promoter of Kalpathi Group, AGS Entertainment and AGS Cinemas, had served as Vice President of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) during 2016-2017.
Following complaints of tax evasion, several teams of IT officials conducted searches at the residential and business premises since this morning and the raids were continuing.
As a follow up to the raids, a special team of IT officials descended on the shoots of Vijay starrer film 'Master' at Neyveli and issued summons to the actor and later took him for questioning.
The film shoot was stopped in view of this development.
Vijay's earlier film 'Bigil', made by AGS Productions, did reasonably well at the box office.
It was made at a budget of about Rs 190 crore and industry sources quoting unconfirmed reports claim that the film grossed about Rs 300 crore collection at the box office and the IT officials believe that it was not properly accounted for, leading to the searches.
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