Actor Vijay summoned by Income Tax department

Following the search operations at his residence last week, the Income Tax department has summoned actor Vijay.

According to reports, Vijay has been summoned by IT department for further explanations.

However, senior IT officials declined to confirm or deny the summons.

Last week, as a part of search operations at AGS Group, the IT department officials had brought Vijay from Neyveli where he was shooting for his next movie.

The IT officials carried out a search operation at his residences here.

Later, in a statement last week, the IT department said Vijay's investment in immovable properties and remuneration received from AGS Group for acting in a film (Bigil) was the focus of the search.

The tax department also claimed to have detected Rs 300 crore hidden income during searches at Anbu Chezhiyan's residence and office located here and in Madurai.

Anbu Chezhiyan is a movie financier and also owns a movie production house.

About 38 premises were searched in Chennai and Madurai. The highlight was seizure of Rs 77 crore unaccounted cash, purportedly belonging to the financier, from hideouts, the IT department said.

Large number of property documents, promissory notes and post-dated cheques collected as collateral security were seized during the search.

"As per the evidence detected during the search, the concealment is likely to exceed Rs 300 crore," it said.

The department also searched the residence of one of the promoters of AGS Group Kalpathi S. Aghoram and a movie distributor who is also into real estate business.

Accounts available at the AGS Group office premises, including evidences of actual receipts and expenses booked and remuneration paid to artistes were being scrutinised.

All documents in original, belonging to the distributor, were recovered from his friend's house, which was being used to stash them.