The Income Tax department on Tuesday conducted searches at multiple locations linked to prominent Telugu film producer and Telangana Film Development Corporation chairman Dil Raju, as well as others, official sources said.

Dil Raju, originally named Venkata Ramana Reddy, has produced some of the biggest Telugu blockbusters, including the latest Ram Charan-starrer ‘Game Changer’ and ‘Bommarillu’.

Dil Raju recently facilitated a meeting between Telugu film personalities and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, amid speculation about strained ties between the ruling dispensation and the film industry, following the arrest of actor Allu Arjun in connection with the death of a woman in a stampede during the screening of the actor’s ‘Pushpa 2’.

The searches were reportedly conducted in connection with allegations of tax evasion, sources said.

Premises linked to other film producers were also being searched, they added.

The searches covered multiple locations in the city, including properties in Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills, sources stated.

When asked about the searches, Dil Raju’s wife told news channels that they were routine and included the inspection of a bank locker.