CHENNAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached assets worth Rs 10.11 crore belonging to renowned Tamil director Shankar over allegations of copyright infringement. The action is linked to a case involving Shankar’s blockbuster film Enthiran.

The dispute began when Tamil writer Aarur Tamilnadan accused Shankar of plagiarizing his 1996 story Jiguba, claiming the film’s plot was lifted without his permission. In response to the complaint, the ED launched an investigation and, on Monday, seized three properties owned by the director-producer.

Tamilnadan had originally filed the complaint in 2011, alleging that Enthiran was a blatant copy of his work. According to the ED investigation, Shankar received Rs 11.5 crore as remuneration for the story, screenplay, dialogues, and direction of the film. A probe by the Film and Television Institute of India reportedly found clear similarities between the Enthiran storyline and Tamilnadan’s story Jugiba. The investigation confirmed that Shankar had violated Section 63 of the Copyright Act, 1957 — an offence that falls under the Scheduled Offences of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). This legal conclusion prompted the ED to take action against the filmmaker.