Rolls-Royce cars once owned by Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan fined ₹38 lakh in Bengaluru over tax violations

Bengaluru: Two Rolls-Royce luxury cars previously owned by Bollywood icons Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan have come under the scanner of Bengaluru transport authorities for massive tax violations, racking up fines worth nearly ₹38 lakh. However, reports confirm that neither actor currently owns the vehicles in question.

Massive fines for missing local tax payments

The two high-end vehicles, a Rolls-Royce Phantom and a Rolls-Royce Ghost were found operating in Bengaluru with Maharashtra registration plates long after their relocation to Karnataka. State rules permit non-Karnataka registered vehicles to ply for up to one year, beyond which local road tax must be paid.

Authorities slapped a fine of ₹18.53 lakh on the Phantom, originally owned by Amitabh Bachchan, and ₹19.73 lakh on the Ghost, previously owned by Aamir Khan bringing the total to a staggering ₹38.26 lakh.

The current owner: 'KGF Babu'

While the cars were once part of the Bollywood megastars’ garages, they are now owned by Yusuf Sharif, a Bengaluru-based real estate businessman and politician popularly known as ‘KGF Babu’, in reference to the Kolar Gold Fields.

According to a report by Mint, Sharif purchased the Phantom from Amitabh Bachchan and the Ghost from Aamir Khan several years ago but failed to update the vehicle registration details, leaving the cars officially linked to their former celebrity owners.

Sharif, a former scrap dealer turned billionaire, made headlines during the 2021 Karnataka Legislative Council elections when he disclosed that his family’s total assets exceeded ₹1,744 crore.

What prompted the crackdown?

Bengaluru's transport department initiated the investigation after noticing the extended use of out-of-state license plates on the luxury vehicles. Officials determined that the Phantom had been in the city since 2021, and the Ghost arrived in 2023, far exceeding the permitted 12-month limit for non-Karnataka vehicles without paying state road tax.

The Phantom had previously avoided penalty during its initial entry into the city, but its prolonged presence this time left it open to enforcement action. The result: hefty fines for both luxury cars.