Rs 25 Crore Found From Tamil Film Financier As Actor Vijay Is Questioned

Chennai: Officers of the Income Tax Department found Rs 25 crore with a powerful financier in the Tamil film industry after they searched his properties as they also questioned actor Vijay yesterday, officials told NDTV. Income Tax officials searched the properties of AGS Cinemas and film financier Anbu Cheliyan in Madurai and questioned Vijay in connection with an alleged tax evasion case. Vijay's home in Chennai too was searched yesterday.

Officials claim their probe revealed unaccounted transactions between Anbu Cheliyan and Vijay following which the actor's home on East Coast Road outside Chennai was raided. Vijay will continue to be questioned today as well.

AGS Cinemas had produced Vijay-starrer super hit film Bigil last year.

"The AGS group and the financier were under our watch for quite some time with regards to their films," an officer NDTV spoke with said.

Vijay, son of veteran film director SA Chandrasekhar, is believed to nurture political ambitions.

The BJP in Tamil Nadu and the ruling AIADMK had opposed his film Mersal, released in October 2017, for containing dialogues seen as critical of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the notes ban.

(inputs from NDTV)