The Income Tax Department (IT) has issued a notice to film producer Antony Perumbavoor, seeking clarification on the financial transactions related to his films Lucifer and Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham. The notice demands a response by the end of this month.

Sources within the IT Department have confirmed that the notice is not related to the ongoing Empuraan controversy.

The department confirmed this move is part of a broader investigation that follows a series of raids across the film industry conducted in 2022. The IT Department further clarified that the notice is a continuation of that investigation, primarily focusing on the overseas rights and the remuneration paid to the stars of these films.

During the 2022 raids, the IT Department reviewed information concerning films produced between 2019 and 2022. The collected data was passed on to the Assessment Department, which has now issued the notice to Perumbavoor after a thorough examination.

This development follows a similar action against actor-director Prithviraj, who was earlier served a notice by the IT Department. The notice sought details regarding the remuneration for his films Kaduva, Janaganamana, and Gold, with a deadline for response set within a month. The IT Department has indicated that this was a routine step in their ongoing investigation.

In a related development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had previously questioned producer Gokulam Gopalan and conducted inspections at his establishments. The ED’s investigation focused on violations of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

Both Antony Perumbavoor and Gokulam Gopalan are producers of the film Empuraan, which has faced opposition from the ruling BJP and the Sangh Parivar. The film is directed by Prithviraj.