Plea seeks probe into C. Joseph Vijay for alleged tax irregularities
A recent writ petition in the Madras High Court seeks a probe into alleged tax irregularities by C. Joseph Vijay, the actor-turned-politician and president of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), primarily linked to his 2015 film Puli.
The petition demands registration of an FIR against Vijay for offenses under the Income Tax Act, Indian Penal Code (including cheating and forgery), and money laundering laws. It references 2015 Income Tax searches uncovering unaccounted cash payments of ₹4.93 crore (plus ₹16 crore by cheque) from producers SKT Studios, where no TDS was deducted on cash, leading to penalties. Filed last month but initially not numbered by the registry, the court on May 5, 2026, directed listing for “maintainability,” marking it the third such case on his financial disclosures.
The Madras High Court admitted the plea and ruled that maintainability is a judicial call, not administrative. No further hearings or outcomes are reported as of May 8, 2026; it awaits listing shortly.
This follows a February 2026 ruling upholding a ₹1.5 crore penalty on Vijay for undisclosed ₹15 crore income from the same 2015 searches. Separate April 2026 pleas on his election affidavits (flagging over ₹100 crore discrepancies between constituencies) were admitted but later dismissed.
