Actors Amala Paul and Fahadh Faasil ask for time in tax evasion case

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Actors Amala Paul and Fahad Fazil have sought three more weeks’ time to appear before the Crime Branch team probing the cases regarding registration of their luxury vehicles in Puducherry to evade higher taxes in Kerala. The Crime Branch had earlier issued notices to Amala and Fahad to appear before the investigation team at the police headquarters on Tuesday morning and afternoon respectively. But both did not turn up.

Crime Branch sources said that Fahad sent a message stating that he was busy with the work of a film by Mani Ratnam and hence he required three weeks’ time. Amala's father sent a message by afternoon stating that she was currently involved in a film shooting at Tirupati and hence may be given excuse for three weeks. "We will take further action after considering the court order on Fahad's anticipatory bail plea," said a Crime Branch official. Meanwhile, BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Suresh Gopi is likely to meet the investigation team on Thursday as directed by the High Court while staying his arrest for three weeks.

A team led by Crime Branch temple anti-theft squad SP K.V. Santosh is probing the cases that were registered as per complaints filed by the Motor Vehicles Department. While Amala's S-class Benz, priced at Rs 1.12 crore, was registered in Puducherry by paying a tax of Rs 1.75 lakh, the tax in Kerala would be around Rs 20 lakh. Fahad's E-class Benz was registered in Puducherry to evade tax. But he paid the tax of Rs 17.68 lakh at Alappuzha regional transport office recently after the controversy erupted. Suresh Gopi had registered his Audi Q7 in a Puducherry address for tax evasion.