The income tax department said on Saturday that Bollywood actor Sonu Sood and his associates evaded tax worth ₹20 crores. IT department searched multiple premises in Mumbai, Nagpur and Jaipur linked to the actor while investigating allegations of tax evasion against Sood.
The tax department said Mr. Sood’s non-profit also raised ₹ 2.1 crores from overseas donors using a crowdfunding platform in violation of the law – Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act – that governs such transactions.
“During the search at the premises of the actor and his associates, incriminating shreds of evidence on 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,” the tax department said in the statement.
“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 instead of cash.
The statement also added that there have been instances where professional receipts have been camouflaged as loans in the books of accounts for 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 tax department said.
The department also alleged that the actors non-profit Sood Charity Foundation set up in July last year during the Covid first wave collected donations of over ₹ 18 crores till April this year, out of which ₹ 1.9 crores has been spent on relief work and the balance ₹ 17 crores has been lying unused in the non-profit’s bank account.
