Search at Vishal’s office not linked to Mersal: IT dept

The I-T department also denied that the action taken against the film producer had anything to do with the said movie.

The Income Tax department has clarified that the raid at the film production company belonging to actor Vishal was routine and had nothing to do with the movie, Mersal.

The department said the inspection was carried out to check violations of not making proper deduction of taxes and not remitting them to the government account after deduction. Vishal is also the president of the Tamil Film Producers' Council and general secretary of the Nadigar Sangam.

"This exercise has been on since the beginning of the current financial year throughout Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. So far, the I-T department made such inspections in more than 400 cases in the region," the I-T department said in an official communication.

The I-T department also denied that the action taken against the film producer had anything to do with the said movie.

"Officials at Chennai conducted inspection at the office of one of the film producers in the city where there was specific information of violation of not remitting to the government account more than Rs 50 lakh of tax deducted during the last financial year 2016-17," the communication also said.

"As per the provisions of the Income Tax Act, this amount should have been deposited in the government account within seven days from the end of the month of deduction".

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