IT Department Interrogated Anurag Kashyap & Taapsee Pannu For Several Hours; NCP, Shiv Sena 'Not Suprised'

The business transactions of films made under the banner of Phantom Films are also being probed. The Maharashtra state govt has reacted on the cdrackdown against Anurag Kashyap and Taaspsee Pannu saying that centre is targetting those who speak against the governement.

Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap and actor Taapsee Pannu on Wednesday were questioned by Income Tax officials in Pune. The Income Tax Department's investigation unit conducted searches at premises linked to the two in Mumbai.

According to the latest update both Kashyap and Taapsee were interrogated for several hours and raids were being conducted till late Wednesday night by the IT officials and the search continues for the second day at  the commerce centre of KWAN Talent Management Agency in Mumbai.

Crackdown on Kashyap and Pannu did not surprise NCP

While some Bollywood stars like  Swara Bhaskar, Anubhav Sinha, tweeted in support of Kashyap and Taaspsee. Maharashtra minister and NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik said, "Central agencies like ED, CBI, and Income Tax are being used to target those who take an anti-government stand and speak against the policies of the regime."

PWD minister Ashik Chavan said this is not new. "We have been seeing this as happening often. Those who put forth facts are being pressurised in this way so that they don't speak up."

"They work with so much vengeance. They don't want anyone to enjoy the freedom a democracy gives. For them, it is an autocratic rule and whatever they say is right and whatever others want to say is wrong," Maharashtra women and child development minister Yashomati Thakur said.

IT Searches took place at 30 locations in Mumbai and Pune, including Phantom Films, which was co-promoted by Anurag Kashyap, producers Vikas Bahl and Madhu Mantena. Talent agencies Exceed Entertainment and KWAN were also searched.

Tax department sources said some inter-linked transactions between the entities searched are under the scanner of the department. The raids are aimed at gathering more evidence to further probe tax evasion allegations against them.

The business transactions of films made under the banner of Phantom Films are also being probed, the sources said. The searches against Mantena are being carried out in the context of his links with KWAN, of which he is a co-promoter.

Both Kashyap and Pannu are known to be outspoken about their views on a range of issues.