Manjummel Boys Actor Soubin Shahir’s Office Raided By IT Department Over Alleged Financial Irregularities

Soubin Shahir's Office Raided By IT: The Income Tax (IT) Department conducted a raid at the office of actor-producer Soubin Shahir in Kochi on Thursday. According to a report by Cinema Express, officials from the IT Department's Kochi division investigated the financial dealings of Soubin's production house, Parava Films, which produced the film Manjummel Boys. The raid also extended to the office of Dream Big Films, the distribution company for Manjummel Boys, located in Pulleppady, Kochi.

As per reports, the IT Department's actions follow an earlier probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which investigated allegations of money laundering linked to Parava Films. The ED's inquiry, conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), centered around allegations of financial irregularities, such as the use of unaccounted funds and manipulation of box office figures within the Malayalam film industry.

ED Probe Leads To IT Raid

In June, the ED questioned Soubin Shahir, along with Babu Shahir and Shawn Antony, about a profit-sharing dispute related to the movie Manjummel Boys, which was produced by the trio. The allegations were raised by complainant Siraj Valiyathara Hameed, who claimed he was denied a significant share of the film's profits, despite investing ₹7 crore.

While Manjummel Boys, directed by Chidambaram, was declared a blockbuster with its makers reporting box office collections exceeding ₹200 crore, the ED suspected these figures were inflated as part of a money laundering operation. According to reports, the producers initially stated that the film's total production cost was ₹22 crore. However, the actual cost of production was ₹18.65 crore.

The ongoing IT investigation reportedly aims to scrutinize the financial records of Parava Films and its associates for possible tax evasion. Further updates on the case are expected as the inquiry unfolds.