Dulquer Salmaan ignores media following ED raids at his house in luxury cars case

Dulquer Salmaan

Malayalam actor Dulquer Salmaan may have received temporary relief in court on Tuesday in the luxury vehicle smuggling case, but on Wednesday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided properties in Kerala and Tamil Nadu associated with him, his father Mammootty, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Amit Chakkalackal, and other individuals. Dulquer was observed in Kochi after being called by the ED; however, he declined to interact with the media.

Dulquer Salmaan ignored the reporters

Dulquer was sighted landing in Kochi on Wednesday afternoon, during the ED raid. As he walked through the airport with security, the actor sported a blue shirt and jeans, as well as a hat and sunglasses. Several reporters can be seen asking him questions about the raid in footage taken by paparazzi and fans that have circulated online. The actor refused to answer the questions and simply walked away, getting into his car and leaving. The Hindu said that Dulquer has been summoned by the ED in the case, but more information is expected.

As part of Operation Numkhor, the Customs (Preventive) Commissionerate raided over 30 locations in Kochi and seized luxury vehicles related to a smuggling case on September 23. According to PTI, on Tuesday, the Kerala High Court authorised Dulquer to file a case for the release of his Customs-seized vehicle. The actor said that Customs authorities refused to review the vehicle's documentation and conducted the confiscation in a 'hasty and arbitrary' manner.

However, on Wednesday, the ED raided Dulquer and Mammootty's properties, including one in Chennai, according to a PTI report. The action was taken under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) in a recent case discovered by Customs' preventive department involving the alleged smuggling of luxury vehicles and unauthorised foreign exchange transactions. The ED will also shortly file a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to investigate the claims, according to sources.

On the work front, Dulquer Salmaan is doing a bilingual film

Meanwhile, Dulquer is working on a Tamil and Telugu bilingual film called 'Kaantha'. On the actor's 42nd birthday, a teaser for the film was released, focused on an estranged father-son relationship.