The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted raids at multiple premises linked to prominent film producer Gokulam Gopalan, whose production house backed the recently released Malayalam film “L2: Empuraan.” according to the Indian Express report the raids are part of an ongoing investigation into alleged foreign exchange violations amounting to over Rs 1,000 crore.
The Kerala wing of the ED launched the multi-state search operation, targeting locations in both Tamil Nadu and Kerala connected to the businessman and film producer. The Indian Express report confirmed that the action is related to a case under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) involving Gopalan and his company, Sree Gokulam Chit and Finance Co Ltd.
The report also mentioned that currently, five premises are covered (under the raids). The case relates to alleged violations of various FEMA provisions worth Rs 1,000 crore with NRIs and other unauthorised transactions. The ED is also looking for alleged cheating and forgery cases registered against the company under PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act).
The searches commenced on Friday morning, with at least ten ED personnel arriving at the Chennai offices of Sree Gokulam Chit and Finance in the Kodambakkam area. Another team reportedly visited Gopalan’s farmhouse in Neelankarai, Chennai.
ED’s investigation and Empuraan movie link
This ED action comes just days after the release of the Mohanlal-starring “Empuraan,” the sequel to the 2019 blockbuster “Lucifer.” Gopalan co-produced the film alongside Antony Perumbavoor and Lyca Productions’ Subaskaran Allirajah, joining the production at a later stage when the film faced release delays due to financial difficulties encountered by Lyca Productions.
“Empuraan,” directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, sparked controversy shortly after its release on March 27. Right-wing groups, including sections of the RSS, criticised the film for allegedly vilifying Hindus through scenes depicting the 2002 Gujarat riots and the use of names associated with individuals involved in related cases.
The backlash led the film’s producers to voluntarily mute certain dialogues and remove specific scenes, amounting to approximately 2.08 minutes of footage.
Gopalan had largely distanced himself from the controversy, clarifying that his intention was not to produce a film with a political message. Mohanlal also issued an apology, stating that the contentious content had been removed.
Who is Gopalan?
Gopalan, a Kerala-origin businessman with diverse interests spanning hospitality, healthcare, education, media, cinema, logistics, and transport, and his Sree Gokulam Group are well-established across South India.
Their flagship chit fund operations cater to a vast customer base both within India and internationally. The ED’s investigation is expected to further scrutinise the financial dealings of Gopalan and his company in relation to alleged FEMA violations.