Ferrari SF90 seized in Bengaluru over Rs 1.58 crore road tax evasion by owner

A high-end Ferrari SF90 Stradale, with an estimated market value of Rs 7.5 crore, has been flagged in Bengaluru for evading a substantial road tax. Registered in Maharashtra, the luxury car had been frequently spotted on city roads for several months, but was allegedly operating without proper tax compliance in Karnataka.

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The issue came to light when traffic police alerted the Regional Transport Office (RTO) about the vehicle's regular movement in the city. On June 2, RTO officials intercepted the car near Lalbagh for inspection. Upon verification, it was found that the vehicle had only paid around Rs 20 lakh in road tax in Maharashtra, while it owed an additional Rs 1.58 crore under Karnataka's tax norms due to its continued presence in the state.

According to the transport rules, any vehicle used in a different state for more than 12 months must pay the appropriate road tax and re-register locally. In this case, the Ferrari had been operating in Karnataka since September 2023 without fulfilling these legal requirements.

Following the inspection, the RTO issued a formal notice to the owner, warning of legal consequences if the dues were not cleared. Responding promptly, the owner paid a total of Rs 1.41 crore, including penalties, to settle the outstanding amount.

Earlier this year, the transport department had seized around 30 luxury vehicles including models from Porsche, Audi, BMW, Aston Martin, and Range Rover over similar tax violations.