Rolls Royce tax case: Relief for actor Vijay as HC stays earlier order

The Madras high court on Tuesday stayed the order of a single judge which, besides making certain observations against him had imposed a cost of Rs One Lakh for failing to pay the entry tax for the Rolls Royce pending since 2012.

A division bench comprising Justice M Duraiswamy and Justice R Hemalatha granted the stay after directing the authority to raise the challan for the payment of the remaining 80 per cent in a week and the amount should be paid by the actor within a week thereafter.

READ MORE: Madras HC grants permission to Vijay to appeal in car import case

The bench posted the plea for further hearing to August 31 also recorded the submission of senior Counsel Vijay Narayan that the single judge while dismissing similar such pleas relating to the import of cars much costlier than the one bought by Actor Vijay, had not given any adverse orders while had made damaging observation against the actor along with imposing a cost.

Vijay’s counsel had submitted that the actor was not questioning the merits of the demands made by the Commercial Tax department regards entry tax but was aggrieved by the observations made by the single judge who not only castigated Vijay but the acting community as a whole.

It was also submitted that as per the court direction, 20 per cent of the entry tax had been paid, and it was the department that had failed in raising the demand challan for the past nine years. But the single bench’s observation against the actor was most uncharitable and uncalled for.

The single judge while dismissing the appeal moved by Actor Vijay against the entry tax for Rolls Royce imported by him from England held “This Court is of the considered opinion that the non-payment of Entry tax by the petitioner (Vijay), can never be appreciated and he has not respected nor responded to the lakhs and lakhs of his fans, who has paid by viewing his movies and from and out of such money, the Actor purchased the world's prestigious car for his personal usage. The reputed persons of this great Nation should realize that the money reaches to them is from the poor man’s blood and from their hard-earned money and not from the sky.”