ED summons actor Mahesh Babu for questioning in money laundering probe involving Hyderabad real estate firms-OxBig News Network

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned actor Mahesh Babu for questioning on Monday (April 28, 2025) in connection with an ongoing money laundering probe involving Sai Surya Developers and the Surana Group, real estate firms based in Hyderabad.

The ED is examining Mr. Mahesh Babu’s financial transactions with Sai Surya Developers as part of its money laundering probe—specifically focusing on the ₹2.5 crore he allegedly received in cash. According to the ED sources, the actor was paid a total of ₹5.9 crore for promoting the group’s projects, with ₹3.4 crore routed through official banking channels and the rest in cash. The investigators are probing the legality and source of the cash component, suspecting that it may have originated from funds collected from investors who were allegedly cheated by the developers, making it a key focus of the probe rather than the endorsement itself.

The ED initiated its investigation following multiple FIRs registered by the Telangana Police against Narendra Surana, director of Bhagyanagar Properties Ltd., K. Sathish Chandra Gupta, proprietor of Sai Surya Developers, and several others for allegedly duping investors by collecting advance payments for plots and failing to honour agreements.

On April 16, 2025, the agency conducted searches at four locations linked to both groups. separately across the twin cities, leading to the seizure of incriminating documents detailing the amounts collected through fraudulent practices, along with records of unaccounted cash transactions amounting to approximately ₹100 crore. Additionally, unaccounted cash totalling ₹74.50 lakh was recovered from the premises of Narendra Surana and companies under the Surana Group.