Luxury Cars Tax Evasion Case: Kerala High Court Exempts Union Minister Suresh Gopi From Personal Appearance
Manju Elsa Isac
23 Aug 2024 5:36 AM GMT
The Kerala High Court has exempted actor and Union Minister Suresh Gopi from personal appearance before the trial court until further orders in the luxury cars tax evasion case . The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate for MP/ MLA Courts had ordered the actor to appear before the Court for framing of charges. The stay order was passed today by Justice C. Jayachandran.
The actor and Union Minister approached the High Court challenging the order of the Special MP/MLA Court dismissing his discharge application in the infamous luxury cars tax evasion case.
The actor had bought two luxury cars from Audi dealers in Ernakulam in 2010 and 2016. It is alleged that the vehicles were fraudulently registered in Puducherry despite the actor being a permanent resident of Kerala, purportedly to evade tax. The State government claims a cumulative loss of Rs 18 lakh. The State claimed that the Union Minister had forged his address to get a registration from Puducherry.
Before the High Court, Mr Gopi argued that registration of the vehicle in Puducherry would have no bearing on the tax to be paid to the State since taxes are payable to the State if the vehicle is used there for a period of one month or more.
The plea was moved by Advocates B. N. Shivasankar, Tinu T. Joseph, Sanoj M. A., Megha Mukundeswar, Adithya Kiran V. E., Vishnu B. Kurup.
Case Title: Suresh Gopi v State of Kerala and Another
Case No: Crl. Rev. Pet 882 & 883 of 2024
