The Chennai unit of the Directorate General of Goods and Service Tax Intelligence (DGGSTI) on Monday denied media reports that raids had been carried out on the residence of the President of the Tamil Film Producers Council.
"Certain news channels are circulating a news that the officers of DGGSTI, Chennai Zonal Unit have searched the premises of Shri Vishal who is President of the Tamil Nadu Film Producers Council," an official statement from the DGGSTI said.
"It is to clarify that officers of the DGGSTI have not carried out any such search operations and the news which is being circulated is factually incorrect and false."
These developments follow the controversy surrounding the Tamil film Mersal, which has a line allegedly criticising GST.
Actor Vishal on Sunday strongly criticised Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national secretary H. Raja for saying that he had watched parts of Mersal online.
"A national leader of a national party has just confessed to watching a newly released film not in the theatre, but illegally," Vishal said. "Being a leader who is known by the public, how can you support piracy without any shame?"