ED seizes properties of Tamil Director S. Shankar in money laundering probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached three properties worth Rs 10.11 crore belonging to renowned Tamil film director S. Shankar, in connection with a money laundering investigation. The properties were seized under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), following allegations of plagiarism related to his 2010 film Enthiran (Robot), which is accused of violating copyright laws.

The case stems from a complaint filed by Tamil writer Aarur Tamilnadan, who claimed that the storyline of Enthiran was copied from his 1996 short story Jiguba. Tamilnadan argued that this amounted to a violation of the Copyright Act, 1957, and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Based on this complaint, the ED launched an inquiry that revealed Shankar received Rs 11.5 crore for his work on Enthiran, including contributions to story development, screenplay, and direction.

The investigation was further bolstered by an independent report from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), which found significant similarities between Tamilnadan's Jiguba and the Enthiran narrative, including character development, narrative structure, and themes.

As a result of these findings, authorities concluded that Shankar violated Section 63 of the Copyright Act, 1957, which is now a scheduled offence under the PMLA. In response, the Metropolitan Magistrate Court-II in Chennai issued a non-bailable warrant against Shankar for failing to appear in court in relation to the case.

Tamilnadan's short story was first published in the Tamil magazine Iniya Udhayam in 1996 and later republished as a novel titled Dhik Dhik Dheepika in 2007. Following the release of Enthiran, Tamilnadan accused Shankar and the film’s production team of unauthorized use of his intellectual property, which allegedly led to significant financial gains.

The Supreme Court recently dismissed Tamilnadan's petition challenging the Madras High Court's order in the copyright case. The ED has confirmed that the investigation is ongoing.