Tamilnadu: A writ petition has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking registration of an FIR against actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay in connection with alleged income tax irregularities related to the 2015 film Puli.
The High Court registry officially numbered the petition on Wednesday, May 6, 2026. The matter is expected to be listed soon for hearing on the issue of maintainability.
Registry Initially Refused to Number the Petition
The petition was originally submitted last month, but the court registry had initially declined to assign a number to it. Following this, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Suresh Aravind Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan, on April 8, directed the registry to number the plea subject to maintainability.
This order cleared the way for the petition to move forward in court proceedings.
Income Tax Raids Linked to ‘Puli’ Mentioned in Petition
According to details mentioned in the plea, the Income Tax Department conducted search and seizure operations on September 30, 2015, at premises linked to Vijay after the release of the film Puli.The petition claims that documents recovered during the raids allegedly pointed toward unaccounted cash transactions.
Allegations Regarding Payment Structure
As per the documents referred to in the petition, film producers P.T. Selvakumar and Shibu of SKT Studios allegedly paid Vijay Rs 16 crore through cheque and nearly Rs 4.93 crore in cash.
The plea further alleges that Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) was deposited only for the cheque payment and not for the alleged cash component.
Claims About Statements During Tax Inquiry
The petition also states that Vijay was questioned during the Income Tax investigation and allegedly acknowledged receiving nearly Rs 5 crore in cash. It further claims that he agreed to pay tax on that amount.
Additionally, the plea mentions that Vijay voluntarily disclosed an extra income of Rs 15 crore for the financial year 2015-16.
Income Tax Return Details Mentioned
According to the petition, Vijay later filed his Income Tax Return for the assessment year 2016-17 on July 29, 2016, declaring a total income of Rs 35.42 crore, which reportedly included the additional disclosed income.
The return also reportedly claimed deductions of Rs 17.81 lakh under depreciation and Rs 64.71 lakh toward fans club expenses.
Demand for Criminal Proceedings
Based on the findings and details emerging from the Income Tax proceedings, the petitioner has now sought criminal action and registration of an FIR against Vijay.
The matter is likely to come up before the Madras High Court soon for further consideration regarding its maintainability.
