Rs 592 Crore Collected Illegally! ED Raids Conclude at Empuraan Producer
ED Strikes Gold: Rs 1.5 Crore Seized in Raids on ‘L2: Empuraan’ Producer’s Chit Fund
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) wrapped up a high-stakes operation on Saturday, seizing Rs 1.5 crore in cash and unearthing alleged foreign exchange violations at the premises of Sree Gokulam Chits and Finance Co. Pvt. Ltd., owned by Gokulam Gopalan—co-producer of the Malayalam blockbuster L2: Empuraan.
The raids, launched Friday under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), targeted one site in Kozhikode, Kerala, and two in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, exposing what the ED calls a web of financial misconduct.
The agency claims Gopalan’s firm illegally collected subscriptions from non-residents, raking in Rs 371.80 crore in cash and Rs 220.74 crore via cheques—moves that flout RBI regulations and FEMA’s Section 3(b).
“Specific intelligence showed they operated without permission, collecting cash from abroad in violation of RBI’s 2015 circular,” the ED stated, adding that “incriminating” documents were seized. Gopalan and his company have yet to respond to the allegations.
The timing’s hard to ignore—L2: Empuraan, released March 27, has been a lightning rod, criticized for its take on right-wing politics and subtle nods to the 2002 Gujarat riots. Co-produced with Antony Perumbavoor and Subaskaran (Aashirvad Cinemas and Lyca Productions), the film saw over two minutes slashed amid backlash.
Directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, who stars alongside Mohanlal, it’s a pricey sequel in the Lucifer trilogy. While the ED insists the raids are purely financial, the film’s controversy adds a spicy subplot to Gopalan’s legal woes.
