Chit Fund Crackdown Tangles Malayalam Movie 'L2: Empuraan'

The Enforcement Directorate is investigating Kerala businessman Gokulam Gopalan's chit fund firm for Rs 1,000-crore foreign exchange violations. Searches were conducted under FEMA provisions at five locations. This comes amid controversy surrounding the movie 'L2: Empuraan', involving political critique, leading to scene deletions.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has launched a probe into Kerala-based businessman Gokulam Gopalan, a producer of the controversial movie 'L2: Empuraan', for alleged Rs 1,000-crore foreign exchange violations. The agency conducted searches across five premises in different states, including Tamil Nadu and Kerala, under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

The crackdown targets Gopalan's business, Sree Gokulam Chit and Finance Co Ltd, over unauthorized dealings with NRIs. These searches occurred at significant locations, such as the company office in Kodambakkam and Gopalan's farmhouse in Neelankarai, Chennai.

The investigation follows 'L2: Empuraan's' release, a film embroiled in debate for its political critiques. The controversy prompted actor Mohanlal and producer Antony Perumbavoor to remove scenes from the film, which has also sparked possible anti-money laundering inquiries by federal authorities.

(With inputs from agencies.)