Ferrari hits traffic bump in Bengaluru, pays ₹1.4 cr after tax-free ride

Ferrari SF90 Stradale, registered in Maharashtra, seized in Bengaluru for unpaid Karnataka road tax; owner clears ₹1.42 crore dues after RTO finds car used for over 18 months

In a major action against tax evasion, Bengaluru’s Regional Transport Office (RTO) forced the owner of a red Ferrari SF90 Stradale to pay over ₹1.41 crore in pending road tax and penalties. The car had been driving through the city for months without paying road tax in Karnataka, NDTV reported. 

The Ferrari, with a starting price of ₹7.5 crore, was registered in Maharashtra and had become a familiar sight in Bengaluru.

On Thursday morning, officials from the Bengaluru South RTO spotted the Ferrari near Lalbagh. Suspecting a tax violation, they stopped the car and checked its documents. 

“In Maharashtra, tax on such cars is a flat ₹20 lakh, but in Karnataka, it amounts to nearly ₹1.5 crore. The vehicle was registered in Maharashtra two years ago. Around 8.30 am on Thursday, the driver was cruising near Lalbagh. When we stopped the car and asked for documents, he said they were at home. Later, we verified the registration,” an official said, as quoted by The Times of India. 

 

   

Owner given a deadline, pays up in full

After checking records, the RTO found that the car had been used in Bengaluru for more than 18 months without paying local road tax. The vehicle was seized, and a formal notice was issued to the owner. The notice also warned of legal action if the dues were not cleared by the evening. 

Responding quickly, the owner paid a total of ₹1,41,59,041, which included both the tax and penalties.

 

One of the biggest recoveries in recent times

Officials said this was one of the highest single-vehicle tax recoveries in recent years. The transport department added that it will continue to take strict action against luxury vehicles being driven without paying state road tax, NDTV reported. 

Earlier in February, the department had seized 30 high-end cars, including Ferraris, Porsches, BMWs, Audis, Aston Martins and Range Rovers, during a large-scale crackdown on tax evasion. The operation involved over 40 RTO officers.