Uh-oh! Looks like, actor Sonu Sood has landed himself in financial trouble.
On Wednesday (September 15), the Income Tax department had conducted ‘surveys’ at 6 places linked to the actor in Mumbai & Lucknow.
As NDTV earlier reported, the survey operation started after there were some allegations of tax evasion on the recent deal between Sonu’s company and a Lucknow-based real estate firm.
Now, after a 3-day-surveillance, the Income Tax officials are said to have found some incriminating evidence related to the case. According to News18, the tax department alleged that the actor has evaded taxes of over Rs 20 crores.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) supposedly claimed in a statement that Sonu routed his “unaccounted income in the form of bogus unsecured loans from many bogus entities”, as per the report.
According to The Indian Express, Sonu Sood has also been reportedly accused of violating the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) while raising donations from abroad.
The tax department said in their statement, “During the course of search at the premises of the actor and his associates, incriminating evidence pertaining to tax evasion have been found. The main modus operandi followed by the actor had been to route his unaccounted income in the form of bogus unsecured loans from many bogus entities,” as per NDTV.
“Investigations so far have revealed use of 20 such entries, the providers of which, on examination, have accepted on oath to have given bogus accommodation entries. They have accepted to have issued cheques in lieu of cash. There have been instances where professional receipts have been camouflaged as loans in the books of accounts for the purpose of evasion of tax. It has also been revealed that these bogus loans have been used for making investments and acquiring properties. The total amount of tax evaded unearthed so far, amounts to more than ₹ 20 crores,” the statement further read.
The report also suggests that Sonu’s non-profit Sood Charity Foundation, which was set up in July last year during the 1st wave of Covid-19, collected donations of over Rs. 18 crores till April this year, out of which Rs. 1.9 crore has been spent on relief work and the rest Rs. 17 crores have been lying unused in the non-profit’s bank account.
