The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued a fresh summons to industrialist and ‘Empuraan’ producer Gokulam Gopalan to appear on April 22 for further interrogation over alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). This follows a six-hour session on April 7, where Gopalan’s documents and statements were reviewed. The ED suspects possible large-scale FEMA violations beyond the initial findings and has asked Gopalan to attend the next session in person or through a representative.
Separately, the Income Tax Department has sent a notice to Antony Perumbavoor, another producer of ‘Empuraan’, for clarification on financial dealings related to his earlier films like ‘Lucifer’ and ‘Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea’. The notice is linked to the department’s 2022 raids on various production houses, including Aashirvad Cinemas, reportedly associated with Perumbavoor. Officials stated that this notice is part of an ongoing investigation and unrelated to the controversy surrounding ‘Empuraan’.
‘Empuraan’ recently underwent voluntary edits by its creators after criticism. While Kerala’s ruling Left and the Opposition UDF defended the filmmakers, right-wing groups, including BJP leaders like Rajeev Chandrasekhar, opposed the film, calling it “anti-national.” The BJP has publicly declared that its members would boycott the film, fueling further political discourse around it.
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