'Claim that ED seized 1.5 crore from my office is baseless'; Gokulam Gopalan appears before ED

KOCHI: Renowned businessman and Empuraan movie producer Gokulam Gopalan appeared at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in Kochi today. He arrived at the ED office after receiving a notice issued by the agency. Speaking to the media, he said he did not know the reason for the summons and insisted that he had done nothing wrong. He also denied reports that the ED had seized Rs 1.5 crore, calling such claims baseless.

The ED had earlier conducted a raid at the premises of Gokulam Chit Funds, a company owned by Gopalan, following which he was questioned. His latest appearance is understood to be a continuation of the investigation. Gopalan reached the ED office at approximately 12:40 PM today. He said that all Gokulam Group did was work in the film industry and that it had not committed any irregularities. Earlier, some reports had claimed that the ED had seized Rs 1.5 crore during the raid at his office.

The timing of the raid has sparked discussions, as it comes at a time when Empuraan, a film believed to carry political undertones, is generating buzz. Previously, in April 2023, Gokulam Gopalan was questioned by the ED for an entire day in connection with another case. Since then, no further ED action had been reported against him until now.