Sonu Sood had this SPECIAL message for IT officials after they ended their investigation by acknowledging his humanitarian work
Days after the Income Tax Department swooped down on Sonu Sood and his business associates, the IT sleuths have finally acknowledged and applauded the actor’s humanitarian work. And Sonu, being a good host to the officials, told them that he is going to miss them after they ended their 4-days of raid.
Recalling the day when the IT officials raided his Mumbai home, Sonu told TOI that he made sure this would be a special experience for them. He said that it was indeed a surprise visit but by the time the officials ended the raid, they appreciated his social work.
“It was a surprise when one day they came in early in the morning. While my elder son was travelling, my younger son got stuck in the house for many days as you can’t leave the house till the officials are done with their duties. I am a very good host. I welcomed them home and made sure they were comfortable and were taken care of. I told them that since they were going to be our guests for the next three-four days, I would like to make this a special experience for them. I told them, ‘You might be doing so many raids through the year, but at the time of leaving my place, you will say that this was the best experience so far.’ So, after four days, I asked them the question, and they admitted to this being their best experience so far. And I said that it will remain the best ever,” Sonu told the daily.
“When they left, I said, ‘I am going to miss you,’ and we all had a good laugh. They acknowledged the kind of work that I have been doing. They appreciated my work and said, ‘We know the kind of work that you have been doing. It is phenomenal.’ They were kind and sweet. They saw all the emails and messages where people were asking for help — to get a liver transplant or even asking to save their lives. There were people standing in front of my house, on the roads and spending their nights and days out there waiting for me to come out. It showed how much trust they have in me. During these three-four days of inquiry, these officials would ask for documents, and we would provide them. This used to go on the whole day, from early morning till the night. They were making sure everything was in place,” he added.
The I-T dept had conducted searches in at least 28 premises belonging to Sonu Sood and his business associates all over India, sniffing for evidence of tax evasion. In a rare official statement, the Income Tax Department, without naming him, has said that Sonu evaded tax worth Rs 20 crore so far, besides listing other alleged wrongdoings emerging in its continuing probe.
An NGO, ‘SOOD Charity Foundation’, launched by the actor in July 2020 collected donations of Rs 18.94 crore till date of which it spent only Rs 1.90 crore towards various relief measures (for migrants), and the rest lies in the bank accounts.
Sonu also shared his plans to utilise the remaining money he raised saying that plans to build a charitable hospital in Hyderabad, Rs 2 crore have already been spent in its construction.
In a tangential reference to the Sood Charity Foundation being targeted by the IT Department, Sonu had said in a statement, “Every rupee in my foundation is awaiting its turn to save a precious life and reach the needy. … In addition, on many occasions, I have encouraged brands to donate my endorsement fees for humanitarian causes too, which keeps us going.”
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