The raids come days after Sonu Sood’s well-known meeting with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who declared him the brand ambassador for a “Desh ka Mentors” programme for school students.
Sonu Sood told Afternoon Voice, “Let the authorities do their job, I will corporate with them. Will not be able to comment further.”
Though Sonu Sood has always maintained that his charity has nothing to do with politics. And at the same time, he has a soft corner for Shiv Sena in Mumbai and Aam Aadmi Party at large. Somewhere BJP sees him as a threat. Sonu Sood has won millions of hearts not only by his acting but also doing rendering help to migrants during the lockdown. Sood can influence Upcoming UP elections if he joins campaigns.
This morning income Tax officials went to his home in Mumbai, after raids at his offices that ended late last night. Tax-men are investigating Sonu Sood’s property deals with a Lucknow-based real estate company. Officials searched six locations linked to the actor yesterday, including the office of his charity based at his home in Juhu.
Opposition politicians had alleged a witch-hunt against the actor, whose philanthropy during the Covid crisis earned him the tag of the “saviour of migrants”. Sonu Sood arranged buses, trains and even flights to take hundreds of migrants, stranded and helpless in the lockdown, to their home state. During the second wave earlier this year, he organised oxygen for Covid patients.
In 2012, the I-T dept had conducted raids on premises of many Bollywood celebs including Sood. There were reports of allegations against his Mumbai property, which he had bought in Rs.30 crore.
Meanwhile, the BJP-led Union government has earned the disrepute of targeting opposition leaders and anyone critical of the government by using government agencies such as CBI, NIA and ED, along with the Income Tax department.
