The Enforcement Directorate on Friday, conducted several raids at different locations belonging to Malayali producer Gokulam Gopalan, over alleged FEMA violations. Gopalan, whose production house backed the Malayalam film L2: Empuraan, which faced criticism for its portrayal of the 2002 Gujarat riots, has now landed on ED’s radar for alleged foreign exchange violations involving Rs 1,000 crore.
The searches according to the Enforcement Directorate
According to ED, its Kerala and Tamil Nadu wings had searched around five premises belonging to the filmmaker in a multi-state operation. These searches were done in connection with a FEMA (Foreign Exchange Management) Act case involving Gopalan and his company Sree Gokulam Chit and Finance Co Ltd, the agency said.
It also mentioned that around Rs,1000 crore worth of violations were allegedly done in this s case that also involves NRIS and other unauthorized transactions. As per ED sources, the agency is also investigating alleged cases of cheating and forgery filed against the company under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The search began on Friday morning with at least 10 personnel arriving at the office of Sree Gokulam Chit and Finance in Chennai’s Kodambakkam area. Another team went to Gopalan’s farmhouse located at Neelankarai in Chennai city.
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Why L2: Empuraan came under fire?
The ED action came just days after the release of the film ‘L2: Empuraan’ that Gopalan co-produced alongside Antony Perumbavoor, Mohanlal’s close aide, and Lyca Production’s Subaskaran Allirajah and starring Malayali actor Mohanlal. The film, which was released as a sequel to to the 2019 blockbuster ‘Lucifer’ and part of a trilogy directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, gave birth to controversy soon after it was released on March 27.
Immediately after it’s release, Right wing groups, including sections of the RSS, attacked the film, accusing it of portraying Hindus negatively by depicting scenes from the 2002 Gujarat riots and referencing individuals linked to related cases.
These accusations made the producers to mute certain dialogues and remove scenes. This voluntary censorship involved about 24 cuts or a deletion of 2.08 minutes, with Gopalan issuing clarifications claiming that it was not his intention to make a movie that includes political messages. Actor Mohanlal who starred as the lead actor in this film also issued an apology and said that the contentious content had been removed.
Who is Gokulam Gopalan and how big is his company?
Gokulam Gopalan is businessman from Kerala, who along with his company “Sree Gokulam Group” is widely known across South India for ventures in hospitality, healthcare, education, media, cinema, logistics, and transport. His flagship venture is his company’s chit fund operations serve thousands of customers both in India and abroad.
