The Aryavarth Express
Agency(Kerala): A Kerala court has rejected the discharge pleas of Suresh Gopi, a BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Thrissur. The actor and politician faced allegations of forging documents to register his luxury vehicles in Puducherry, thereby evading the motor vehicle tax in Kerala.
The Ernakulam Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Special court, designated for cases involving MPs and MLAs, made this decision. The court has scheduled April 28 to begin framing charges against Gopi.
The police initiated the cases in 2017, accusing him of using a fabricated residential address to avoid a 20% tax levied in Kerala on luxury cars priced above Rs 20 lakh. Gopi, however, has refuted these accusations. He argues that the vehicles were registered in Puducherry not to evade taxes but because he owns agricultural land there, which his family members, including his brothers, manage.
This case marks a significant moment as it intertwines issues of legal accountability and political implications, with Gopi contesting in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The court’s decision to proceed with framing charges emphasizes the judiciary’s role in scrutinizing public figures and maintaining legal standards regardless of their political affiliations.