Producer Dil Raju Appears Before I-T Officials After Raids

Producer Dil Raju appears before Income Tax officials after property raids in Hyderabad

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Neelima Eaty 4 Feb 2025 1:30 PM

News in short:

Dil Raju, a prominent film producer in the Telugu film industry and chairman of the Telangana Film Development Corporation, was questioned by the Income Tax (I-T) department on February 4, 2025, in Hyderabad. This followed I-T raids conducted in January on properties connected to him, his brother Sirish, and daughter Hansitha Reddy, focusing on his films "Game Changer" and "Sankranthiki Vasthunam." The questioning lasted for approximately two hours, with officials probing into the production costs and revenue of recent films produced under his banner, Sri Venkateswara Creations. Dil Raju provided relevant documents and bank statements. While the I-T department has traced his accounts, it is unclear if further questioning will occur. The raids in January, which involved 55 I-T teams, were part of a routine review of financial records in the film industry, according to Dil Raju. His production company has had recent releases, including the underperforming "Game Changer" and the highly successful "Sankranthiki Vasthunam." Besides film production, Dil Raju is also involved in real estate.

Hyderabad: Popular film producer and Chairman of the Telangana Film Development Corporation, Dil Raju, also known as V. Venkata Ramana Reddy, appeared before the Income Tax (I-T) officials at Aayakar Bhavan, Basheerbagh in Hyderabad on Tuesday, February 4, 2025.

Dil Raju arrived at the I-T office in the morning. This follows last month’s Income Tax raids on properties linked to the producer amid suspicions of discrepancies in tax payments related to his films Game Changer and Sankranthiki Vasthunam, produced under his banner, Sri Venkateswara Creations.

The producer was questioned for approximately two hours, with officials inquiring about the production costs and revenue of recent films from his banner. According to sources, the I-T authorities have traced all the accounts related to his businesses. Dil Raju handed over the relevant documents and bank statements after the questioning.

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Following the interrogation, he left the I-T office in Basheerbagh. It remains unclear if further questioning will take place.

On January 21, 2025, the Income Tax department launched simultaneous raids at several locations associated with Dil Raju, including his residences and offices in Hyderabad. The raids began early in the morning and targeted eight sites across prominent areas like Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills.

Sources revealed that the operation also involved properties connected to his brother Sirish and his daughter Hansitha Reddy. A total of 55 I-T teams participated in the operation.

In response to the raids, Dil Raju had commented that such inspections are common in the industry, where authorities regularly review financial records. During the raids, ₹20 lakh was reportedly found at his residence. He reiterated that such inspections are part of routine business operations.

Dil Raju, a well-known figure in the Telugu film industry, is also involved in real estate. His latest productions include Game Changer (2025), a political action film starring Ram Charan and Kiara Advani, which received mixed reviews and underperformed at the box office. Another recent release, Sankranthiki Vasthunam (2025), became a major hit and was one of the highest-grossing films from Sri Venkateswara Creations.

𝐓𝐅𝐃𝐂 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐥 𝐑𝐚𝐣𝐮 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐓 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲

Hyderabad: Telugu film producer and Chairman of Telangana Film Development Corporation Dil Raju (V Venkata Ramana Reddy) arrived at the Income tax office on Tuesday morning.… pic.twitter.com/VaKALo0ZSb

— Hyderabad Mail (@Hyderabad_Mail) February 4, 2025