PremiumDarshan Thoogudeepa now under IT scanner; massive cash haul from actor’s house
The Kamakshipalaya police is said to have alerted the IT department about the money seized from the actor’s house, with questions arising if he has paid tax for the amount
Last Updated: 06.58 PM, Jun 21, 2024
In cinema circles, it is common knowledge that cash transactions are still rampant, especially when it comes to remuneration payments for star actors who charge in crores. These are often undeclared transactions, intended to evade taxation. But that is not the point here. It is perhaps the reason that the Kamakshipalaya police was allegedly able to recover as much as Rs 70 lakh in cash from actor Darshan Thoogudeepa’s residence.
The actor is currently in police custody in connection with the death of 33-year-old Chitradurga resident Renukaswamy, who was allegedly brutally tortured by Darshan’s aides and succumbed to his horrific injuries. Darshan is alleged to have paid Rs 30 lakh to some of the accused to get rid of the body and take blame of the crime.
By law, any person is allowed to keep hard cash to the tune of Rs 2 lakh only at a time, which this haul exceeds multi-fold. The question now is about the source of this money, if it is black money and, if the actor has paid taxes commensurate to the amount found. The Kamakshipalaya police is said to have alerted the Income Tax department about the recovery and an enquiry into this will commence shortly. It is being alleged that the money is a portion of the advance the actor received for an upcoming film.
Meanwhile, a recent report that surfaced after Darshan’s release suggests that the actor charges a whopping Rs 22 cr to Rs 25 cr per film, a figure that was arrived at some time ago, when the actor was in a tussle with Roberrt producer Umapathy Srinivasa Gowda about a property deal.
The actor’s police custody is set to end tomorrow. He was one of 4 accused who were sent back to custodial interrogation, while everyone else, including accused nr.1 Pavitra Gowda, headed to Parapana Agrahara on June 20.