Karnataka transport officers Wednesday fined a Bengaluru businessman over Rs 38 lakh for driving a Rolls-Royce Phantom as soon as owned by Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan and a Rolls-Royce Ghost beforehand belonging to Aamir Khan with out paying the native highway tax within the state.
The posh vehicles had been discovered throughout an enforcement drive on the home of businessman-politician Yusuf Sharif, also referred to as KGF Babu. The operation was led by M Shobha, Joint Transport Commissioner, Regional Transport Officer (RTO), together with different officers.
Officers discovered a Rolls-Royce Phantom bearing registration quantity MH02-BB-0002, registered within the identify of actor Amitabh Bachchan, and a Rolls-Royce Ghost with registration quantity MH11-AX-0001, registered to Hardwyn India Inc, however reportedly initially belonging to actor Aamir Khan.
In keeping with RTO officers, each automobiles are actually owned and commonly utilized by Sharif, who bought them a couple of years in the past from the Bollywood actors however did not switch possession to his identify. Transport division officers indicated that the Rolls-Royce Phantom has been in Bengaluru since 2021, and the Ghost since 2023. Officers added that Sharif was utilizing the vehicles with out paying the relevant state highway tax in Karnataka.
The transport division fined Rs 19.73 lakh for the Ghost, and Rs 18.53 lakh for the Phantom, each for long-term use of out-of-state automobiles in Karnataka with out fee of native taxes — a violation below the Karnataka Motor Automobiles Taxation Act. Nevertheless, officers didn’t seize the automobiles because the tax had been paid through the enforcement drive.
Sharif made nationwide headlines in 2021 when his Rolls-Royce automobile, value Rs 2.01 crore (in response to an affidavit) and which he purchased second-hand from Amitabh Bachchan, was seized by RTO officers for highway tax violation. The Earnings Tax division additionally carried out a search on his premises over tax evasion of Rs 13.43 crore.
Sharif is a controversial determine with a rags-to-riches background. A local of Kolar Gold Fields (KGF), the mining city that impressed the blockbuster Kannada movie collection KGF, he earned the nickname ‘KGF Babu’. From promoting scrap in his early years, Sharif rose to change into an actual property baron.
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Some detractors, nonetheless, declare Sharif has acquired his riches by stealing gold from KGF utilizing muscle energy. Sharuf has denied the allegations, and credit onerous work for his wealth.
Within the 2021 Karnataka Legislative Council elections, he contested from the Bangalore City native authorities’ constituency, declaring property value over Rs 1,744 crore belonging to himself and his household — one of many largest identified declarations within the state.
Sharif has 4 felony circumstances pending in opposition to him, three of which he claims had been primarily based on allegations made whereas growing properties for his actual property enterprise.