The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday conducted searches at the offices of businessman Gokulam Gopalan, one of the producers of the controversial film “L2: Empuraan,” in connection with alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) case, reported news agency PTI.
Gopalan’s company Sree Gopalan Chit and Finance Co. Ltd is being investigated for alleged FEMA violations of ₹1,000 crore with certain NRIs and “unauthorised” transactions related to their business, reported PTI.
The businessman’s offices in Kerala and Tamil Nadu were inspected, soon after the film “L2: Empuraan” sparked backlash due to its critique of right-wing politics, and a mention of the Gujarat riots.
Currently searches are taking place at five different premises, including offices in Kochi and Chennai. The ED is also looking into allegations of “cheating” against the company under the prevention of money laundering law.
Gopalan is the founder and owner of the Sree Gokulam Group of Companies, which operates various entities in the fields of finance, education, healthcare, media and more.
L2: Empuraan controversy
The Mohanlal-starrer, which is the second in the Lucifer trilogy, was released initially on March 27, but soon became the topic of heated debate after several right-wing activists took issue with scenes alluding to the riots of 2002 and the portrayal of a right-wing party with veiled references to the Indian political landscape.
The film was re-released on April 2 after 24 cuts, after the producers and actors apologised for hurting the sentiments of certain groups.
Actor and producer Mohanlal expressed regret over the criticism levelled at the film due to certain scenes, and stated that the controversial references in the movie would be removed.
In a Facebook post, the actor said, “I have come to know that some political and social themes that were included in the unveiling of Empuraan… have caused considerable distress among many of my loved ones.”
“As an artist, it is my duty to ensure that none of my films promote hatred towards any political movement, ideology, or religious group,” he added.