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Searches were conducted by a team of 80 IT officials on the two actors and their business associates at 20 different locations across four southern cities Friday.

Mammootty, who was in Chennai, arrived here Friday night along with his wife but maintained a stoic silence before the media. When he arrived at his plush residence here, he was met by a team of IT sleuths.

And when the IT officials left his house, it was around 3.45 a.m. Saturday.

Mohanlal was busy shooting in Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu when IT team arrived at the shooting location. After a brief chat with the actor, the officials took him to his hotel room, where they recorded his statement.

A source close to Mohanlal said he will present himself before the IT officials Monday.

Meanwhile, a top Malayalam film star on condition of anonymity told IANS that the IT raids have become a major point of discussion in the industry and at shooting locations.

"The general impression among people is that these superstars failed to evoke any sympathy simply because in order to remain the numero one, both have started their own film production and distribution companies," said the star who did not wish to be identified.

T.P. Krishnakumar, director, investigations in the Income Tax office, revealed Friday that the IT sleuths would continue their raids for the next two days. He added that they would soon come out with an official press release on why they conducted the raids.

The sleuths have recovered huge amounts of cash from Mammootty's Chennai residence and also discovered numerous real estate deals done by the two.

The forest department discovered a pair of elephant tusks in Mohanlal's home here and the actor will have to show documents proving that he has the necessary license for it.

IT sleuths said there was a huge gap between the income mentioned by the two in their tax returns and what they actually earned.

They also raided the office and home of a chartered accountant who incidentally is the financial advisor for both stars.

The others on the radar of the IT sleuths are the producers of the duo's ongoing films which are scheduled to hit the theatres in the coming months.

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Kochi, July 22 : Film star-turned-Kerala minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar, who is also in-charge of cinema portfolio, Friday ruled out an inquiry into reports that Income Tax sleuths had found out a pair of elephant tusks while raiding superstar Mohanlal's home here.

"No, why should such a thing happen," asked Kumar, who has worked with the superstar in numerous movies in the past more than two decades.

Trading in ivory is banned and since Kumar is the forest minister, the law on this is enforced by his ministry.

"If someone has a gun in possession, will anyone launch an inquiry into it? Maybe the holder of the gun would have a license. Likewise, maybe Mohanlal has inherited it and might have the necessary permission to keep it in possession," said Kumar.

Early Friday, the residence and offices of superstars Mammootty and Mohanlal were raided across four cities in south India.

Veteran thespian actor Thilakan, who has been having a long running feud with the two stars, said that those who occupy a place of pride in the minds of many, should be clean in all respects.

Thilakan was booted out of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes, the only organisation of all those who don the grease paint in the Malayalam industry, for indiscipline after he criticised the superstars.

--IANS

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