IT raids on premises linked to actor Sonu Sood

Mumbai: Income tax department officials surveyed at least six properties in Mumbai and Lucknow, all linked to Bollywood actor Sonu Sood on Wednesday, a PTI report said. The visit of the I-T officials, which was not termed as raid, was in connection with an alleged tax evasion probe, the report said. It was not immediately known whether the I-T officials visited Sonu Sood's residence as well. Reports said a real estate deal is also under the scanner of the income tax department.

The I-T survey comes soon after the actor became the brand ambassador of the Delhi government's mentorship programme after receiving national and humanitarian acclaim for helping people during the pandemic. Starting with providing busses for the migrant workers in 2020, the Bollywood actor ensured oxygen supply during the peak of the second wave of the pandemic.

The 48-year-old was hailed as a real-life hearo and was conferred with a special humanitarian action award by the United National Development Programme.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that actor Sonu Sood has the prayers of lakhs of families of India who got his support in difficult times.

AAP national spokesperson Raghav Chadha termed this I-T action as a witchhunt and said Sonu Sood's only crime is to stand by people who were orphaned by the government. "This is nothing but a witch hunt by an insecure Modi government against a giant philanthropist considered a 'messiah' by millions. His only crime is that he worked for the welfare of the downtrodden when they were orphaned by the state," Raghav Chadha tweeted.