THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Actor and Rajya Sabha member Suresh Gopi has evaded tax to the tune of Rs 19.6 lakh by buying two Audi cars worth Rs 60 lakh and Rs 80 lakh, according to the Crime Branch chargesheet which will be submitted in the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Thiruvananthapuram soon.
The chargesheet said that Suresh Gopi submitted a false affidavit and forged documents to prove his local address to register his cars in Puducherry. He had shown that he was a resident of Karthika apartment at Ellaippillai Chavadi in Puducherry.
Initially, the house owner of the apartment gave statements in favour of the actor. However, he later changed his version and told the Crime Branch that Suresh Gopi was not a resident of the apartment. Following this, the actor was booked for cheating, forgery and Motor Vehicle Act violation.
The Crime Branch in December 2017 registered a case against the actor on charges of fabricating documents and using false addresses to register a luxury car in Puducherry in a bid to evade higher taxes in Kerala. After receiving a complaint on October 8, State Police Chief Loknath Behera handed over the case to Crime Branch chief B S Muhammad Yasin. The case was investigated by Crime branch DySP Josi Cheriyan.
A preliminary inquiry conducted by the Crime Branch found that insurance policies and rent contracts were forged to support the actor’s claim. However, sleuths found the flat, which he claimed to live, was locked.
The Crime Branch also received a report from the Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) which showed that Suresh Gopi had evaded a fine for violating speed limit, for which a notice was issued.