A day after it conducted searches in the offices of five big-shot music companies, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has started interrogating head honchos of T-Series and Saregama for not paying royalty to composers and lyricists
A day after it conducted searches in the offices of five big-shot music companies, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has started interrogating head honchos of T-Series and Saregama for not paying royalty to composers and lyricists. Others are expected to be summoned for grilling next week. According to sources, T-Series chief Bhushan Kumar and Saregama MD Vikram Mehra had been in questioning ever since 11 am on Friday. The interrogation of Kumar and Mehra continued till Saturday midnight.
Bhushan Kumar of T-series at the ED office at Ballard Pier on Saturday. Pic/Suresh Karkera
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The duo was asked about discrepancies that ED officials have found. The companies are accused of not paying 50 per cent of royalty amount to the eligible artistes or their legal heir. ED is probing the companies under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) 2002 because it suspects that the money collected from stakeholders in the name of royalty was used for other purposes.
The widow of late ghazal singer Jagjit Singh, Chitra, had filed an FIR with ED last December. She told mid-day on Friday that her fight was for all her colleagues as well who are not paid royalty by the companies. Singh had petitioned the Delhi High Court alleging that the IPRS was still issuing licenses for her husband’s work, though not competent to do so under the Indian Copyright Act, and the said concerts breached various intellectual property rights held by her as his surviving heir. According to sources, the fraud could be to the tune of Rs 1,500-2,000 crore.
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