Parallely, the ED has filed a complaint with the Mumbai Police, accusing the film producer of destroying evidence.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has carried out searches at the premises of Mumbai-based film producer, Dharmesh Narendra Sangani, a business associate of veteran actor Shekhar Suman, and his company Kalanee Impex Private Ltd. The probe has allegedly unravelled multiple undisclosed foreign assets and offshore bank accounts in the United States of America (USA), Canada and United Arab Emirates (UAE), and unrealised foreign remittances.Shekhar Suman Film Academy (SSFA) is co-founded by Sangani and promoted by Suman. However, Kalanee Impex Private Limited is a global trading firm, managing international trade transactions and commodity logistics.Sangani is not new to controversy. In September 2016, UK Border Force officers had seized approximately 7.4 kg of undeclared gold jewellery Sangani allegedly tried to smuggle into the UK.“Customs authorities of the USA and the UK are investigating certain transactions of Dharmesh Sangani, and ED is also investigating FEMA violations in such transactions,” stated agency officials.These details have became public following the searches carried out under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999 at Sangani’s premises in Mumbai on Thursday. ED officials said they came across “money which ought to have been received in India has not come to India despite lapse of substantial time”, indicating violation of the FEMA.Sangani, alleged agency officials, threw his mobile phone from the 13th floor of a building in Mumbai during the search. It was later retrieved and the sleuths are trying to extract information from the handset with the help of cyber and forensic experts.destroying evidenceParallely, the ED has filed a complaint with the Mumbai Police, accusing the film producer of destroying evidence.Pointing at an anomaly detected, officials charged the company did not realise export proceeds from certain overseas buyers within legally allowed time neither it obtained an extension of time from the authorised dealer bank. “There were no documented recovery efforts,” officials said.Instead, the investigators have noticed receipts of export proceeds from third-party entities other than the consignee or buyer named in export invoices and shipping bills.A substantial shareholding of Sangani was allegedly found in an undisclosed Canadian company. “Associated foreign bank account and related transactions were also not disclosed before appropriate authorities,” officials charged.Officials said they have also ascertained an alleged undisclosed UAE business entity which is subject of probe. “As of now, undisclosed foreign banks’ accounts in Canada, the USA and the UAE have been identified,” they stated.Published on July 10, 2026
