Famous Punjabi singers Miss Pooja, Jazzy B, Diljit Dosanjh and Gippy Grewal were allegedly found receiving money through the hawala route, Enforcement Directorate (ED) sources said.
Film production companies Batra Showbiz and Gurfateh Productions, music company Speed Records are also under the ED scanner for allegedly violating the provisions of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), they said.
The money worth crores, ED sources said, was earned by organising shows abroad and the revenue earned by selling music records and films. Some producers also shot Punjabi films and music videos in foreign countries for which the transactions were done using illegal channels.
The illegal transactions came under the scanner in March when homes and business establishments of some singers and producers were raided by the I-T department. A month later, the four singers and some producers were summoned for questioning about the transactions.
While singer-turned-actor Diljit Dosanjh had appeared before the ED on April 12 and July 9, Grewal appeared twice before the central agency on April 22 and May 12. Gippy was quizzed by the ED on April 22 and May 12.
The latest to be questioned is Punjabi singer-actor and BJP leader Miss Pooja. On Friday, the ED officers grilled the singer-actor for three hours in connection with the overseas transactions and alleged hawala money receipts. The ED officers are believed to have recorded her statement. “The ED asked some questions which I answered. I had also come to hand over the documents related to the foreign shows,” Pooja told reporters in Jalandhar.
The Friday’s questioning was the second time that Pooja appeared before the ED in last 25 days. She had first appeared before the ED officers on June 16 during which she was questioned for six hours. Besides Pooja, Dinesh Aulakh – a partner of Speed Records – also appeared before the central agency which questioned for about 30 minutes. “I and my two partners were issued summons to appear. I arrived here from the US on receiving the notice. I was not questioned… but they will call me Punjabi actor & singer Jazzy B again,” Aulakh said.