Actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood’s finances were recently being investigated by the Central Board of Direct Taxes. HT reports that the department had alleged Sood and his associates had evaded tax of ₹20 crore.
The CBDT stated that Sood’s charity foundation collected donations worth ₹18.94 crore from April 1, 2021 till now. From this, ₹1.9 crore was spent for relief work and the rest ₹17 crore has been found lying “unutilised” in its bank account.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes released a statement that said, “During the course of search at the premises of the actor and his associates, incriminating evidence pertaining to tax evasion has 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.”
Sonu Sood has now taken to social media to issue a statement after the investigation reportedly revealed discrepancies. He wrote, “You don’t always have to tell your side of the story. Time will. 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.
He added, “In addition, on many occasions, I have encouraged brands to donate my endorsement fees to 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 four days. Here I am back again in all humility. At your humble service, for life.”
Here’s a look at his complete statement-
Additionally, the CBDT has allegedly accused Sood of being in violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) as he raised donations from abroad. Sonu had raised funds for those seeking medical aid amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
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