HYDERABAD: Officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) grilled film director Puri Jagannadh and actor-turned-producer Charmme Kaur throughout the day on Thursday on suspected FEMA violations in the making of Vijay Deverakonda-starrer Liger.
The ED investigation began after Congress leader Bakka Judson lodged a complaint with the ED in August stating that even politicians had invested money in Liger. He also pointed out that whoever had invested found routing money to Liger was the easiest way of turning their ‘black money’ into ‘white’.
Agency sources said they also have inputs that crores of rupees had gone into the making of the pan-Indian movie from foreign countries allegedly in violation of FEMA. The ED had served notices on Jagannadh and Charmme about 15 days ago asking them to appear before it on Thursday. The sources said ED officials had questioned them on the source of money that had gone into the movie and if there were any investors abroad who routed funds into the making of the film.
ED suspects that several companies had transferred funds to the accounts of the two producers and the officials sought an explanation from them as to who had remitted the money and for what purpose. This is the second time that both of them have appeared before the ED. In 2021, the agency questioned several film personalities, including Jagannadh and Charmme, regarding allegations that money laundering took place in the infamous drugs case registered by the State Excise and Enforcement wing in 2017.
Tollywood actors Ravi Teja, Tarun, Navdeep, Subba Raju, cameraman Shyam K Naidu, director Chinna, actress Mumaith Khan and others were interrogated in connection with the drug case which is linked to money laundering.
Tollywood sources said that Puri Jagannadh and Charmme had invested around Rs 120 crore in Liger expecting huge returns but the movie bombed at the box office.