The Madras Supreme Court has dismissed Tamil actor Vijay’s request for tax exemption on a luxury car he imported from England, Live Law reported Tuesday. The court fined Rs 1 lakh and ordered him to pay it to the Tamil Nadu Prime Minister’s Public Aid Fund within two weeks.
Vijay had informed the court in his application that he had paid import duties on his Rolls Royce Ghost, which cost more than 5 crore rupees. The actor added that when he asked the Chennai regional traffic officer for a license plate number on the car, he was asked to pay immigration tax. In 2012, he filed a written request for exemption from this tax in the High Court.
Justice SM Subramaniam has charged the actor with tax evasion. “The petitioner, a well-known film actor, is expected to pay the tax promptly and on time,” he said, according to the PTI. “In the state of Tamil Nadu, cine heroes rose to rule the state, and so people feel that they are the real heroes. Therefore, they are not expected to behave like role heroes. “
“Tax evasion is an anti-subversive habit, attitude and way of thinking to be interpreted and unconstitutional,” said the judge, according to Live Law. “These actors portray themselves as champions to bring social justice into society. Her pictures are directed against corrupt activities in society. But they evade taxes and act in ways that are inconsistent with the provisions of the statutes. “
The judge found that the taxes paid by citizens were used for social welfare and infrastructure projects. He also said that people see actors as “real heroes,” PTI reported. “Hence, they are not expected to act like role heroes,” he added.
Subramaniam added that the wealth that alleged people like actors had amassed came from “the poor man’s blood, not heaven,” according to The Hindu.
The judge criticized the actor for failing to disclose his profession in the petition. “He imported a prestigious, expensive car from England, but unfortunately did not pay any entry tax according to the statutes,” said the judge. “He made a written request to avoid paying taxes.”