The Enforcement Directorate has summoned actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Panama Papers Leak case. ED had registered the case after Panama Papers showed how companies were set up in offshore islands to avoid taxes. She is asked to appear before ED's Delhi office on Monday (December 20).
A top ED official confirmed that she was summoned to join the probe by Monday. "We summoned her for December 20. As of now we haven't got any reply from her side. The summon was sent to her Mumbai residence," said an ED official. If she doesn't join the probe, the ED will think of further legal action. They might seek legal opinion from the experts to decide the future course of action, added the official.
It isn't the first time that the actor has been summoned in the case. She was summoned earlier on two occasions. However,Aishwarya had sought adjournments on two occasions earlier. The plea of adjournment was made to the special investigation team probing the Panama Papers case.
The actress may appear before the prove agency today. The ED wants to question her over allegations of stashing wealth abroad.
The Panama Papers pertain to leaked documents that point towards fraud and tax evasion by many individuals and corporate entities across the world. The ED had lodged a case under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) after the Panama Papers showed how companies were set up in offshore islands to avoid taxes.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's name featured in the list of 500 Indians who were named in the massive leak of 11.5 million tax documents exposing their secret offshore dealings. Superstar Amitabh Bachchan's name also featured in the list.
On work front, Aishwarya will be next seen in Mani Ratnam's much-awaited historical film 'Ponniyin Selvan', which is based on writer Kalki's classic novel of the same name.