The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has called actor Mahesh Babu for questioning in a money laundering case related to real estate companies: Surana Group and Sai Surya Developers. He has been asked to appear for the inquiry on Sunday.
According to ED, Mahesh Babu was paid over ₹5.5 crore by Surana Group for doing advertisements. He also received ₹5.9 crore from Sai Surya Developers- ₹2.5 crore in cash and ₹3.4 crore by cheque for promotional work. The agency is now investigating these payments.
While probing the case, ED found illegal financial transactions worth ₹100 crore. These were discovered during searches at the offices of Surana Group, Sai Surya Developers, and Bhagyanagar Properties. The officials also seized ₹74.5 lakh in cash. Important documents were found at the homes of Surana Group’s Chairman, Narendra Surana, and Managing Director, Devendar Surana, along with Sai Surya Developers’ offices.
The ED started its investigation after Telangana Police filed several complaints against Narendra Surana (Director of Bhagyanagar Properties), K Sathish Chandra Gupta (owner of Sai Surya Developers), and others. They were accused of cheating people by taking large payments for plots that were never properly sold.
The investigation revealed that the group was involved in scams such as creating illegal land layouts, selling the same plot to multiple people, taking money without legal agreements, and making false promises about plot registration.
According to the ED, these actions caused heavy financial losses to many investors. The money collected through fraud was used for personal benefit and hidden through money laundering. The ED also found documents showing how the group took money from many investors through fake deals. They uncovered unaccounted cash transactions worth ₹100 crore and seized ₹74.5 lakh from Surana Group’s offices and homes. The investigation is still going on.
You might also be interested in - Raj Thackeray-led MNS opposes release of film starring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan