Kochadaiiyaan's Production Company Faces Tax Fraud Case

After receiving a complaint from a person named K.J. Saravanan, a city court in chennai has ordered police to investigate an alleged entertainment tax fraud. The fraud is related to India's first photo-realistic performance capture movie Kochadaiiyaan.

In his submissions to the court, the petitioner Saravanan has said that on August 12, 2014, he had purchased a ticket to watch the Rajini starrer in the Tamil version by paying Rs. 120, but the theatre screened Kochadaiyaan - The Legend 3D version instead of Kochadaiyaan Tamil version.

The State Government had exempted film's production company from paying entertainment tax for the Tamil version when the movie was released on May 23, 2014 in 3D and for traditional viewing in Tamil and five other languages.

E.J. Ayyappan, the petitioner's spokesperson has said that despite the exemption granted by the commercial tax department in an order dated May 12, 2014, the theatre collected entertainment tax by exhibiting Kochadaiyaan - The Legend 3D version instead of showing the version the petitioner had bought the ticket for. He has also said that by doing so, the production house, Mediaone Global Entertainment Ltd has made huge profit illegally by using the tax exemption obtained for the Tamil film.

When the matter came up for hearing, S.Sivasubramanian, a metropolitan magistrate, said that a prima facie case has been made by the petitioner and ordered the police to investigate the tax fraud. The inspector has to register a case if investigations reveal a cognizable offence, said the court.