Bengaluru bizman fined Rs 40L for unpaid road tax on luxury cars bought from Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan

KGF Babu had been using Maharashtra-registered Rolls-Royces in city for 2-4 years.

Bengaluru: Transport authorities have fined scrap dealer-turned-billionaire Yousuf Shariff, popularly known as KGF Babu, nearly Rs 40 lakh for using two Maharashtra-registered Rolls-Royce cars in Bengaluru without paying the required road tax. 

One of the cars (MH 02-BB-0002) was bought second-hand from Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan, and the other (MH11-AX-0001) from actor Aamir Khan. 

A team led by Joint Commissioner of Transport (Bengaluru Urban) Shobha M searched Shariff's residence in Vasanthnagar on Wednesday and inspected his collection of luxury cars. 

The Rolls-Royce that Yousuf Shariff alias KGF Babu bought from Aamir Khan in 2023.

Officials found that both Rolls-Royces were being used in Karnataka without paying the applicable road tax. 

As per transport department rules, any vehicle registered outside Karnataka and used continuously in the state for over a year must pay the applicable road tax. 

The department fined Shariff Rs 19,83,367 for the Rolls-Royce bought from Khan, and Rs 18,53,067 for the one purchased from Bachchan. 

Shobha said Yelahanka RTO officials had noticed the Rolls-Royces being used in Bengaluru and issued notices to Shariff. 

"He did not respond to the notices and claimed he was in Mumbai — and so were the cars," Shobha told DH. 

However, department officials recently discovered that both cars were being used regularly in Bengaluru and decided to take action. 

"We visited his residence and found both cars. We conducted an inspection and asked him to pay the applicable road tax and fine. He paid through demand drafts as we don't accept cheques," Shobha said. 

She added that both cars were quite old. Bachchan's Rolls-Royce is 17 years old, while the one bought from Khan is 15 years old. 

Shariff bought Bachchan's car in 2021 and Khan's in 2023, the official said. 

Shariff's wife Shaziya Tarannum confirmed the development to DH, stating that the applicable fines had been paid through demand drafts. 

A native of Kolar Gold Fields (KGF), Shariff is also known by the nicknames Gujri Babu, Scrap Babu and Raddi Babu, a reference to his earlier business of scrap trade. 

Shariff later made it big in real estate. 

In 2021, Shariff contested the Karnataka Legislative Council election from the Bangalore Urban local authorities’ constituency on a Congress ticket but lost. 

He had declared assets worth Rs 1,744 crore belonging to himself and his family, making him one of the richest political candidates in Karnataka. 

In 2023, he contested the assembly election from Chickpet in Bengaluru as an independent after the Congress denied him the ticket. 

He secured 20,931, or 16.25%, of the total votes cast, finishing third. The BJP's Uday Garudachar won the seat with 57,299 votes. The Congress candidate, RV Devaraj, came second with 45,186 votes.