Income tax sleuths knock on actor Sonu Sood’s doors; Twitterati slams 'survey'
Actor Sonu Sood got a call from income tax (IT) officials at his Mumbai home on Thursday morning, after the team surveyed his office on Wednesday night.
The officials are reportedly probing a Lucknow-based real estate company’s property deal with Sood, who has been earning accolades since the COVID pandemic began for charity work such as helping migrants and people in medical crises.
During last year’s sudden lockdown, the actor had arranged special flights home for stranded migrants and organised oxygen for COVID patients in the second wave this year. The 48-year-old actor also recently made news for becoming the brand ambassador for Delhi’s AAP government’s mentorship programme for school students.
On Wednesday, the IT team surveyed at least six properties linked to Sood in Mumbai and Lucknow, over alleged tampering in the book of accounts.
Twitterati, Sood’s fans, and people in the AAP slammed the IT department’s action on the actor, calling him an easy target, and the IT operation a witch-hunt and politically motivated.
Sonu Sood is an easy target. When is Adani going to be ‘surveyed’ by the Income Tax?
What happened to the showcause notice of ₹5500 crore OR the reports of tax evasion of ₹1000 crore OR over valuation of power equipment imports?
— Gaurav Pandhi (@GauravPandhi) September 15, 2021
Sonu Sood deserves the IT raid. He helped migrant labourers when the govt couldn’t.
— PuNsTeR™ (@Pun_Starr) September 15, 2021
Sonu Sood raided by IT @SonuSood …. No surprise now that he’s officially aligned with @AamAadmiParty.
Is ED next? Come on, tell us @BJP
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) September 15, 2021
The ‘survey’ of actor-and-philanthropist @SonuSood by the IT Dept is a clear message by BJP that they will victimise anyone who does good work for the country? Was it a crime for @SonuSood to help migrants during the lockdown? Was it a crime for him to help those in difficulty? pic.twitter.com/oA47wes9Vv
— Atishi (@AtishiAAP) September 15, 2021
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal extended support for the actor on Twitter, while party leader Raghav Chadha slammed the Modi government. AAP MLA Atishi released a video criticising the IT survey as well.
A report in NDTV quoted sources as saying: “A recent deal between Sonu Sood’s company and a Lucknow-based real estate firm is under the scanner. The survey has been initiated on allegations of tax evasion on this deal.”
Also read: HC asks Maharashtra to probe how Sonu Sood procured COVID medicines
