In a curious case blending Bollywood glamour, luxury cars, and a mining town-turned-movie legend, two Rolls-Royce cars once owned by Bollywood icons Amitabh Bachchan has found himself at the centre of controversy in Bengaluru and it has cost the current user dearly.
The Regional Transport Office (RTO) in Bengaluru recently slapped a whopping fine of Rs 38 lakh on two Rolls-Royce vehicles a Phantom and a Ghost for failing to pay Karnataka's road tax. Though the cars are still officially registered in the name of Amitabh Bachchan, they are no longer in the actors' possession.
The actual owner is Yusuf Sharif, a businessman and politician better known locally as ‘KGF Babu’, a nickname owing to his roots in Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) the same mining town that inspired the hit Kannada film series KGF. Mr Sharif reportedly bought these high-end vehicles from the actors a few years ago but never officially transferred ownership, leaving the registration under the celebrities' names.
According to RTO sources, the Rolls-Royce Phantom, originally owned by Amitabh Bachchan, has been used in Bengaluru since 2021. The Karnataka Motor Vehicle Act mandates that vehicles operated for over a year in the state must be re-registered locally and pay appropriate road taxes.
The Phantom has now been fined Rs 18.53 lakh, while the Ghost attracts a fine of Rs 19.73 lakh for prolonged non-compliance.
Interestingly, the Phantom had first caught the RTO’s attention in 2021, but it was let off back then as it hadn’t yet completed one year in the state. However, both cars are now confirmed to have surpassed that limit, prompting the hefty penalties.
Mr Sharif, who once dealt in scrap and later amassed immense wealth through real estate, had declared assets worth Rs 1,744 crore during the 2021 Karnataka MLC elections. Despite his riches, he failed to complete a simple formality — transferring ownership and paying road tax — leading to the rather unusual spectacle of Bollywood stars being dragged into a tax controversy they had nothing to do with.
Sometimes, what’s in a name can cost crores.
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