The Kerala High Court has granted interim relief to Union Minister and popular Malayalam actor Suresh Gopi in a case alleging tax evasion related to the purchase of a luxury car.
Justice C. Jayachandran noted the circumstances of the case and ruled that Gopi need not appear before the trial court until further orders.
The interim relief was granted in response to Gopi’s plea to quash the tax evasion case. The case involves two luxury cars purchased by Gopi in 2010 and 2016 from Audi dealers in Ernakulam. The vehicles were registered in Puducherry, allegedly to avoid the higher taxes imposed in Kerala.
The State government claims that, despite being a permanent resident of Kerala, Gopi fraudulently registered the vehicles in Puducherry, resulting in a tax loss of ₹18 lakh. The trial court found a prima facie case against Gopi, leading to charges under Sections 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), 471 (using a forged document as genuine), and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code, along with Section 40 of the Motor Vehicles Act (registration of vehicles).
Gopi moved the Kerala High Court for relief after the trial court dismissed his discharge application. He argued that the vehicle registration in Puducherry did not affect his tax obligations in Kerala, as tax is payable to the State where the vehicle is used for more than a month, not where it is registered. He also noted that the vehicle was registered using an insurance policy issued by Life Insurance Corporation.
The prosecution alleged that Gopi used a forged address proof to register the vehicle in Puducherry. The Court agreed to hear Gopi’s plea in detail after preliminary submissions and granted him interim relief, with further hearings scheduled for September 23, 2024.
