No reprieve for BJP Lok Sabha candidate Suresh Gopi in motor vehicle tax evasion cases

Kochi: A Kerala court on Friday dismissed the pleas moved by actor-cum-politician Suresh Gopi seeking discharge in two cases against him for allegedly forging documents to get his two luxury vehicles registered in Puducherry to evade motor vehicle (MV) tax in Kerala.

The Ernakulam Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Special court for cases against MPs and MLAs dismissed the discharge petitions moved by the actor, who is a candidate in the Lok Sabha polls from Thrissur constituency on a BJP ticket.

ACJM Naina K V listed both the cases for framing of charges on April 28.

The police had lodged the cases against him in 2017 for allegedly using a fake residential address to register his luxury vehicles in the Union Territory of Puducherry to evade the 20 per cent tax in Kerala on luxury cars costing Rs 20 lakh and above.

The actor has denied the allegation against him and claimed that he registered the two vehicles in Puducherry as he owns agricultural land there which was being looked after by family members, including his brothers.