Filmmaker Sukumar’s house and office in Hyderabad were raided by Income Tax officials on January 22. The raids reportedly began early in the morning and continued for hours. Sukumar, who was at Hyderabad airport at the time, was escorted by IT officials back to his residence for the inspection. However, no details about the findings or the purpose of the raids have been officially revealed yet.

The timing of the raids coincides with Sukumar’s recent success of Pushpa 2: The Rule, starring Allu Arjun and Rashmika Mandanna. The film has been a massive box-office hit, earning over ₹1,500 crore globally. Despite the success, the filmmaker now faces scrutiny from tax authorities.

Similar raids were also conducted on January 21 at the properties of prominent producer Dil Raju. The IT department is reportedly investigating allegations of tax evasion, examining financial documents and transactions for potential discrepancies and unaccounted income.

Dil Raju, whose real name is Velamakucha Venkata Ramana Reddy, is a celebrated producer in Telugu cinema, with a few Tamil and Hindi films to his credit. Known for his banner Sri Venkateswara Creations, he has received multiple accolades, including two National Film Awards. His recent production was Game Changer, starring Ram Charan.