The Crime Branch (CB) on Monday arrested actor Suresh Gopi, MP, on the charge of defrauding the State government of vehicle tax on his super luxury car. Mr. Gopi, who surrendered before the CB, was released on bail in deference to a High Court (HC) order. Actor Amala Paul, who is facing similar charges, was questioned by the agency and let off.
The actor-turned-politician executed a bail bond of ₹1 lakh and produced two solvent persons as sureties.
The CB case against Mr. Gopi was that he had used phoney documents to fraudulently register his luxury car in Puducherry to dodge the steep lax on opulent vehicles in Kerala. The actor had allegedly used fake notarised documents to show permanent residency in the Union Territory, a prerequisite for registering automobiles in Puducherry.
The actor’s arrest was the latest development in the agency’s sweeping inquiry into the inter-State automobile tax evasion fraud that has cost the Kerala exchequer dear.
It had questioned Mr. Gopi earlier but stopped short of arresting him as the HC was considering his anticipatory bail plea. The HC did not stay his arrest but ordered the agency to extend him bail.
The CB had in November last charged Mr. Gopi with cheating, forgery and use of forged documents as genuine ones under Sections 420, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code. The offences are non-bailable and carry a punishment of up to seven years of rigorous imprisonment.
The government, which has flagged up the tax evasion as a significant revenue loss, has estimated that more than 5,000 vehicles purchased from automobile showrooms in Kerala were fraudulently registered in Puducherry.
(Kerala levied 20% tax on vehicles costing ₹20 lakh and upwards. Puducherry imposed a far lesser duty. The suspects, ultra-wealthy celebrities and businesspeople, had sought to exploit the tax differential.)
Automobile showrooms aspiring to drive-up sales, profiteering intermediaries and acquiescing regional transport officials had facilitated the fraud.
The court is considering Ms. Paul’s anticipatory bail application. The CB had earlier arrested actor Fahadh Faasil on the same charge. It said the detections so far were just the tip of the iceberg and more indictments were in the offing.
