Raid at Gokulam offices ends; cash, documents seized by ED officials

Kozhikode: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has concluded the search operations at the establishments linked to prominent businessman and film producer Gokulam Gopalan. The action, which forms part of a probe over alleged money laundering and foreign exchange violations, ended early Saturday morning at the Kodambakkam office in Chennai of Gokulam Chits and Finance. Reports suggest the agency has seized around Rs 1.5 crore in cash and several financial documents.

Gopalan was initially questioned at his Kozhikode corporate office on Friday morning. Following this, he was served a notice to appear before officials in Chennai, where a second round of questioning reportedly lasted over seven hours. Sources indicate that the interrogation focused on financial dealings and alleged regulatory breaches by his companies.

What are the allegations?
The ED is probing alleged violations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). Preliminary findings suggest that Gokulam Chits and Finance may have unlawfully accepted foreign remittances, including money from expatriates, in breach of FEMA provisions. Broader financial transactions of the Gokulam Group are also under scrutiny as part of a case first registered by the agency’s Kochi unit in 2022.

In addition to the Chennai office, ED teams carried out coordinated raids at Gokulam Gopalan’s residence, the group’s corporate office in Kozhikode, and the Gokulam Mall. The action was based on leads indicating financial irregularities across multiple locations associated with the business group.

Political hues
The raid on Gokulam Gopalan's office has concluded, but the political shadow cast by his involvement in Empuraan remains. Gopalan was one of the producers of the high-profile Malayalam film that drew sharp political attention. The project became controversial after BJP and RSS supporters voiced opposition, while leaders from the UDF and LDF rallied in its defence. The row even triggered heated exchanges in Parliament between BJP MP Suresh Gopi and CPM MP John Brittas, adding a political dimension to Gopalan’s recent troubles.

Officials are expected to scrutinise the seized documents in the coming days. Reports indicate that Gopalan may be summoned again based on findings from the financial records