CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Thursday granted interim stay on a notice seeking tax arrears served to music director Harris Jayaraj over non-payment of entry tax of Rs 11.5 lakh on an imported luxury car.
As per the case details, in 2010, Jayaraj imported a Maserati Granturismo S Coupe. When he tried to register the vehicle with the local RTO, they refused to register the imported vehicle on the grounds that the entry tax had not been paid. Challenging the refusal by RTO to register the car, Jayaraj filed a case in Madras high court and the plea was dismissed in 2018.
In 2019, the state government sent a notice demanding payment of entry tax arrears of Rs 13 lakh. The musician again moved the Madras high court seeking relief, but the court ordered him to pay the entry tax with penalty.
In February 2023, the state again sent notice to Jayaraj to pay entry tax of Rs 11.5 lakh, following which he again moved the present petition in the high court seeking a stay on it. He apprised the court that he had already paid Rs 11.5 lakh as entry tax for the car which he sold in July 2012.