Key Highlights

  • Her denial: Rakul Preet Singh said the Income Tax search "was not pertaining to me."
  • Specific rebuttals: She denied any illegal foreign remittance, benami property or expensive gifts.
  • Media criticism: She urged outlets that published "false, malicious and speculative reports" to retract them.
  • The searches: Reports said the IT Department searched 12 Mumbai locations on September 28, linked to Vashu Bhagnani and Panorama Studios.
  • No official word: The IT Department has not issued a formal statement or confirmed any violation.

Actress Rakul Preet Singh has publicly denied any link to recent Income Tax searches in Mumbai, calling reports that named her false and urging the media to correct them.

"It's heartbreaking to see that There's a growing trend amongst the self styled online reporters & some main stream media journalists to sensationalise the news without verifying facts. Let's therefore set the record straight once for all. The search was not pertaining to me," she wrote on social media.

"No Godfather in the Industry"

Rakul highlighted her background and tax record. "Let it be known that I am from the Armed Forces background & had no Godfather in the Industry. I have come up through sheer hardwork & as a responsible law abiding citizen have been paying my due taxes since the age of 20 years."

Point-by-Point Denial

She addressed the specific allegations in circulation:

  • No involvement in any illegal foreign remittance, personally or on behalf of any production house.
  • No benami property, held for anyone, in India or abroad.
  • No property gifted to her, and a principle of not accepting expensive gifts.

A benami property is one held in someone else's name while the real owner remains hidden.

"Cannot Come at the Cost of Facts"

"I urge all those who published these false, malicious and speculative reports to retract them and clarify the facts... But it cannot come at the cost of facts. And certainly not at the cost of someone's reputation and livelihood," she said.

What Has Been Reported

According to reports, teams from the Mumbai Income Tax Department carried out searches at 12 locations on September 28. Reports linked the premises to producer Vashu Bhagnani, Rakul's father-in-law, and Panorama Studios, headed by producer Kumar Mangat Pathak. Officials were reportedly examining whether funds were sent overseas under the guise of financing film projects.

Vashu Bhagnani was reportedly hospitalised in London a day after the searches; the reason was not disclosed. When asked for comment, he said he wanted privacy.

Why It Matters: A Search Is Not a Finding

The Income Tax Department has not issued a formal statement on preliminary findings or confirmed any violation. A search operation is an investigative step, and the reported searches do not by themselves establish wrongdoing by anyone named.

Rakul's statement goes further than a routine denial. By directly calling out "self-styled online reporters" and mainstream outlets, she has turned the episode into a question about how quickly names are attached to investigations before facts are confirmed.

What Comes Next

Officials are expected to examine the records collected before deciding whether any violation occurred. Until then, the inquiry remains ongoing.

The Bottom Line

Rakul Preet Singh has drawn a clear line: the searches, she says, were not about her. With no official findings yet, her statement stands as the only detailed public account from those named.

With inputs from IANS.