Kerala: ED likely to question Gokulam Gopalan again in alleged Rs 1,000 crore money laundering probe

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Gokulam Gopalan

Kochi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) may question businessman and film producer Gokulam Gopalan again today following yesterday’s raids at his Chennai office and residence in Neelankarai. The interrogation is reportedly based on evidence recovered during the raids. The ED will decide further steps after examining his statement. Yesterday, the agency also questioned Gopalan’s son, Baiju Gopalan.

The ED conducted simultaneous raids at five locations across Kerala and Tamil Nadu, including Gokulam’s corporate office and hotel in Kozhikode, his residence in Chennai, and Gokulam Mall. Gopalan, who was in Kozhikode, was summoned to Chennai and questioned late into the night.

Financial irregularities amounting to Rs 1000 crore

The probe is reportedly related to alleged financial irregularities amounting to around Rs 1,000 crore. The agency is investigating violations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and FEMA (Foreign Exchange Management Act), including suspected illegal foreign exchange dealings and large-scale investments by Gokulam Group companies.

The timing of the ED action, amid ongoing controversies around the blockbuster film L2: Empuraan, for which Gokulam Gopalan was a co-producer, has raised public interest. Gopalan had previously intervened in a dispute involving the production company Lyca Productions and later claimed in interviews that he had requested changes in certain scenes due to the growing controversy.

Interestingly, the ED’s investigation seems to mirror the plot of Empuraan, where central agencies target the protagonist played by Manju Warrier during her political ascent. In a similar twist, as the film runs successfully in theaters, one of its key producers is now under central investigation.

Earlier, Gokulam Gopalan was also questioned by the Income Tax Department in 2017 and again by the ED in 2023 over similar financial concerns.