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Mumbai: Bollywood actor Sonu Sood on Monday issued a statement on Twitter, days after the Tax department conducted raids o his properties.
The actor, whose philanthropic efforts during the Covid crisis won huge praise, was raided for four days in a row by the Income Tax department, which alleges that he evaded taxes worth over Rs 20 crore.
“You don’t always have to tell your side of the story. Time will,” Sonu Sood said in the statement.
“I have pledged myself to the service of the people of India with all my strength and heart. Every rupee in my foundation is awaiting its turn to save a precious life and reach the needy. In addition, on many occasions, I have encouraged brands to donate my endorsement fees for humanitarian causes too, which keeps us going. I have been busy attending to a few guests hence was unable to be at your service, for the last 4 days,” Sonu said.
“Here I am back again in all humility. At your humble service, for life. My journey continues…” he added in the statement.
The IT department’s official statement came after visiting the actor’s Mumbai-based residence for three days in a row for a search. The IT dept said that Sood’s non-profit also raised Rs 2.1 crore from overseas donors using a crowd-funding platform in violation of the law – Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act – that governs such transactions.
“During the course of search at the premises of the actor and his associates, incriminating evidence pertaining to tax evasion have been found. The main modus operandi followed by the actor had been to route his unaccounted income in the form of bogus unsecured loans from many bogus entities,” the IT department said in the statement.
