The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned Tollywood megastar Mahesh Babu to appear before it on April 28 in connection with an investigation into an alleged money laundering case linked to real estate developers Sai Surya and Surana Group. According to ED officials, Mahesh Babu reportedly received ₹5.9 crore—₹2.5 crore in cash and ₹3.4 crore by cheque—for promoting projects run by Sai Surya Ventures.
These projects are now under intense scrutiny for misleading hundreds of potential buyers. Though the actor may not be directly involved in the alleged scam, the agency is probing whether his promotional activities lent credibility to ventures that are now accused of defrauding the public through unauthorized land schemes and false plot registrations.
The Real Estate Web: Unregistered Layouts and Duplicated Plots
The ED’s inquiry has revealed troubling details. The Hyderabad-based developers allegedly orchestrated a scheme involving unauthorized land layouts and sold the same plots to multiple customers without proper legal documentation. Investigators say the firms lured customers with fabricated land records and hollow assurances of registration and possession.
Promotional campaigns endorsed by celebrities such as Mahesh Babu may have lent these ventures legitimacy, making them more appealing to unsuspecting investors. Some of the FIRs registered by Telangana Police allege that these developers collected substantial sums without delivering promised properties, thus violating money laundering and fraud statutes under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Widening Probe and ED’s Growing Focus on Celebrity Endorsements
The ED’s investigation has widened beyond the initial FIRs and now includes the financial transactions made by Sai Surya Developers, Surana Group, and individuals linked to their promotional and marketing arms. Among them are film personalities and influencers who endorsed these ventures through public appearances, advertisements, or online campaigns.
Mahesh Babu is reportedly busy filming a global jungle-themed adventure movie with director S.S. Rajamouli. Despite his filming schedule, he is expected to fully cooperate with the authorities, his team has indicated. His appearance before the ED could clarify the extent of his financial and contractual relationship with the accused companies.
The agency has also summoned real estate figures including Narendra Surana, director of Bhagyanagar Properties Ltd, and K Sathish Chandra Gupta, who are proprietors of Sai Surya Developers. The probe aims to establish whether the funds received by Mahesh Babu were part of a larger cycle of laundering or merely part of standard promotional contracts.