Malayalam actor Soubin Shahir arrested in 'Manjummel Boys' financial fraud case

Actor and producer Soubin Shahir has been arrested in a financial fraud case. The arrest is in connection with the film Manjummel Boys and its box office gross. Along with Soubin, his father Babu Shahir and associate Shawn Antony were earlier summoned for questioning. The arrests of Babu Shahir and Shawn Antony will be recorded soon. Since the High Court had granted anticipatory bail, the three will be released on station bail.

Soubin's production house, Parava Films, which produced the film, has been under the radar ever since Siraj Valiyaveettil, a native of Alappuzha, levelled serious charges against the makers of Manjummel Boys.

In his complaint, Siraj alleged that he invested Rs 7 crore in the movie as he was under the impression that the movie's total budget was Rs 22 crore. Later, it was known that the film was shot with a budget of only Rs 18.65 crore. He also alleged that he had not received the promised 40 per cent of the total share of the profit.

Following this, the police had conducted an investigation and filed a report against Soubin and others in the High Court. The police report stated that the accused had conspired and cheated the complainant.

Last year, the Income Tax Department raided the offices of Soubin and Parava Films, Dream Big Films and producer Shawn Antony in connection with the same. The IT officials had mentioned there were allegations that Soubin had not filed tax returns and concealed financial records.

One of the highest-grossing Malayalam films, Manjummel Boys was the first from the industry to cross the Rs 200 crore mark in total box office collections. The film was also a hit outside Kerala, especially in Tamil Nadu, where it became a sensation.

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