After Vijay, Court Slams Dhanush, Says When Ordinary People Can Pay Taxes, Why Do You Refuse?

When Sachin Tendulkar was gifted a red Ferrari-360 Modena on the occasion of his scoring his 29th Test hundred, he had, too, applied for an import duty exemption on the car. The government had granted him the same. He received a tax exemption of Rs 1.13 crore.

But shouldn't the grown-up rich celebrities pay for their own toys?

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In 2012, actor Joseph Vijay had also sought a tax exemption for his Rolls Royce car imported from England. The government came down heavily upon him. He was seeking tax exemption on Rs 7.95 crore for a Rolls-Royce Ghost worth Rs 6.95-7.95 crore. Instead, he was asked to pay Rs 1 lakh fine in the Chief Minister¡¯s Covid-19 Relief Fund.

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The court slammed him for not stating his profession in the affidavit. The judge had also pointed out that Vijay had a large fan base and those fans consider him a hero. "Tax evasion is to be construed as an anti-national habit, attitude and mindset and unconstitutional,¡± he observed.

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Another actor who is getting slammed for the same is Dhanush, who had also filed a similar tax exemption case in 2015. The Madras Court in turn asked him when ordinary people pay taxes why does he refuse to pay tax when buying a luxurious car.

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The judge also reminded him that everyone is equal before the law.

As per a report on The Hindu, Justice Subramaniam said, "These actors portray themselves as champions of social justice. Their movies are against corrupt activities in society. But, they are evading tax and acting in a manner which is not in consonance with the provisions of the Statutes."

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After this, Dhanush's lawyer wanted to withdraw the plea, which the court denied.

Dhanush who has paid more than Rs 30 lakhs already has been ordered to pay the rest of 50 percent in the next 48 hours.