KOZHIKODE: After CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan using the Mini Cooper car owned by Faisal Karat for the Jana Jagratha Yatra at Koduvally the other day, another controversy has surfaced that the Cooper car with number PY01 CK 3000 was registered in Puducherry using a fake address to evade tax in Kerala.
Koduvally municipal vice-chairman A P Majeed has lodged a complaint with the RTO stating the address used by Faisal was fake and a detailed probe should be conducted to find out the truth. He had contended that the vehicle was registered in Puducherry to evade road tax to the tune of `10 lakh. As per the Kerala Motor Vehicles rules, vehicles from other states plying in Kerala should be registered again within a year and 20 per cent of the vehicle’s price must be paid as road tax.
RTO C J Paulson said they had launched an inquiry based on the complaint in which it was alleged that Faisal had been using the car in the state for the past one year but the registration of the car was not changed or road tax paid. The particular model Mini Cooper costs around `44 lakh and the tax amount was 20 per cent of the price. Meanwhile, the CPM local committee has been asked to give an explanation on the circumstances that led to the sourcing of the car for the Jana Jagratha Yatra.