ED has summoned actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in connection with Panama Papers. Mrs Bachahan would have to appear before the probe agency on December 20th. The summon is cited on allegation of stashing wealth abroad. According to sources, ED has registered a money laundering case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002. Sources also claim the ED has prepared its questionnaire for the lady.
Aishwarya was called earlier on November 9, 2021, under Section 37 FEMA. As the actress was asked to respond within 15 days, she had sought adjournments to the SIT constituted to probe the Panama Papers.
Nearly 300 individuals from India have been believed to be involved in the case of tax evasion. Last month, Aishwarya’s husband Abhishek Bachchan had reportedly handed over a few documents to the ED officials. It is speculated that superstar Amitabh Bachchan might also be called in for interrogation.
Why are the Bachchans called?
According to reports, Bachchans were allegedly the director of four companies. Three out of which located in the Bahamas and one in the Virgin Islands made a capital between $5,000 to $50,000. In a recent update to the Parliament, it has surfaced the IT dept has detected undisclosed credits worth Rs 20353 crore for 900 India-linked entities in the Panama and Paradise Paper leak. Bachchans’are speculated to be amongst the 300 involved in tax evasion.
What are Panama Paradise Papers?
The Panama Papers are 11.5 million leaked documents declassified in 2016, that disclose financial details and attorney-client information of nearly 214,488 offshore entities. Leaked financial records of politicians, industrialists and celebrities were reviewed and published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.