States High court

Tax Evasion Case: Kerala HC Grants Interim Relief to Actor-Politician Suresh Gopi

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.

Read More: Supreme Court, Delhi High Court, States High Court, International

Nunnem Gangte

Recent Posts

Punjab & Haryana HC Notice To Jindal Law School Over AI-Generated Exam Claims

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday has issued a notice to Jindal Global…

15 mins ago

ED Files Money Laundering Complaint Against Charanjit Singh Bajaj, 4 Others

The ED on Tuesday has filed a Prosecution Complaint before the Special Court in Mohali…

36 mins ago

Pune Porsche Case: SC Rejects Anticipatory Bail To Father Of Minor Driver’s Friend

The Supreme Court on Tuesday denied bail to Arunkumar Devnath Singh, whose son is a…

2 hours ago

SC Dumps Plea Against Quashing LOC For Sushant Singh Rajput’s Ex-House Help

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed the Centre's appeal against a Bombay High Court order…

2 hours ago

Rape Case: SC Issues Notice On Ex-Army Officer’s Plea For Quashing Charge sheet

The Supreme Court on Tuesday has agreed to review a plea from retired Army Captain…

3 hours ago

Chhattisgarh NAN Scam: FIR Against 2 Retired IAS Officers, Former AG

The Chhattisgarh Anti-Corruption Bureau on Tuesday has registered a case against 2 retired IAS officers…

3 hours ago