Actor Sonu Sood, a messiah for thousands of migrants and poor during the pandemic, had his premises in Mumbai and a company in Lucknow linked to him raided by the Income Tax department today.

"A recent deal between Sonu Sood's company and a Lucknow-based real estate firm is under the scanner. The survey operation has been initiated on allegations of tax evasion on this deal," the Income Tax department said.

The tax raids come days after the actor's high-profile meeting with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who declared him the brand ambassador for his government's mentorship programme for school students in the capital. After the meeting, Sonu Sood denied any plans for a political debut with Mr Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).