Actor Mahesh Babu has been summoned by Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case related to Surana realty group and Sai Surya Developers.
The actor has been told by ED to be present in their office on Sunday.
According to a report in NDTV, “The actor received over Rs 5.5 crore for appearing in advertisements for the Surana Group. Sai Surya Developers paid Mr Babu Rs 5.9 crore, including Rs 2.5 crore in cash and Rs 3.4 crore via cheque, for promotional activities.”
Earlier, during the ED search at Surana group’s affiliated companies, Sai Surya Developers and Bhagyanagar Properties, the agency found illegal transactions worth Rs 100 crore and seized Rs 74.5 lakh in cash.
The Surana group is headed by Narendra Surana, chairman, and Devendar Surana, managing director.
The duo's homes at Hyderabad’s Jubliee Hills and Bowenpally were also raided.
The Surana group is accused by ED of fraud under the guise of real estate ventures.
"Their actions caused financial losses to numerous investors. By cheating the general public with predetermined and dishonest intention, they generated proceeds of crime which was diverted and laundered for wrongful gain to themselves and related entities," a statement from ED said.
"The searches resulted in the seizure of incriminating documents evidencing details of amounts collected by fraudulent means from various investors as well as unaccounted cash transactions worth around Rs 100 crore. Unaccounted cash to the tune of Rs. 74.50 lakh was seized from the premises of Narendra Surana and M/s Surana Group of companies," the agency said, according to NDTV, adding that a probe was on.
Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu is known for films like Pokkiri (2006), Srimanthudu (2015), Bharat Ane Nenu (2018), Guntur Kaaram (2024), and Sarkaru Vaari Paata (2022), among others.
He is married to Bollywood actress Namrata Shirodkar.
On the professional front, Mahesh Babu will be acting in SS Rajamouli’s untitled movie SSMB29 starring Priyanka Chopra and Prithviraj Sukumaran.
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