Latest news with #Rolls-Royces
Time of India
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Time of India
KGF Babu in spotlight: Who is Yusuf Sharif? The man flaunting Bollywood stars' Rolls-Royces
NEW DELHI: Realtor, politician, and now tax defaulter, Yusuf Sharif, also known as KGF Babu, is at the centre of controversy, not for his wealth or political ambitions, but for driving Rolls-Royces once owned by Bollywood icons Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan on Bengaluru roads without paying local taxes. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The Karnataka transport department on Wednesday swooped down on Sharif's plush Vasanthnagar residence with records showing he had been using two Maharashtra-registered Rolls-Royce cars in Bengaluru well beyond the one-year period allowed without state road tax. One of them, a Phantom bearing number MH 02 BB 0002, was bought from Amitabh Bachchan. The other, a Rolls-Royce Ghost, came from Aamir Khan and bears registration MH 11 AX 0001. Both cars, now a fixture in Sharif's glitzy collection, were used on Karnataka roads without paying the applicable lifetime road tax, dues that have now cost him Rs 38.3 lakh. The Phantom had already caught the eye of RTO field officials back in 2021 and was briefly impounded. A penalty of Rs 5,500 was collected before the car was released, allegedly on the instructions of senior officials. The issue was quietly buried, until this week. 'This time, we had ample proof,' an RTO official told TOI. 'Traffic surveillance footage and vehicle movement logs clearly showed the cars were being used in the city for extended periods. A notice was issued, and after we briefed Yusuf Sharif on the rules, he cleared the tax dues by cheque the same day.' According to the department, Rs 19.8 lakh was collected for the Phantom, and Rs 18.5 lakh for the Ghost. Sharif, known for his flamboyance and rags-to-riches story that earned him the nickname "KGF Babu", admitted to the lapse but claimed it was unintentional. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'I have a passion for buying cars from celebrities,' he said. 'I paid lifetime tax for these vehicles in Maharashtra — Rs 50 lakh for one, Rs 35 lakh for the other. I wasn't aware I had to pay again in Karnataka.' He insisted that the vehicles divide time between Mumbai and Bengaluru, spending about 15 days in each city, and added, 'Officials came to my house without prior notice. They explained the tax rules and I paid the amount immediately. It was a mistake out of ignorance. I appeal to others with out-of-state vehicles to check their dues and settle them.' Sharif's business roots lie in Mumbai, but in Karnataka, he's a known figure in political and real estate circles — his opulence, controversial land deals, and extravagant lifestyle frequently grabbing headlines. This week's raid only brings him back into the spotlight, this time for rolling the red carpet out for Bollywood cars — minus the paperwork.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
‘Its skid game for Namma Bengaluru…': Residents enact scene from this series to highlight civic apathy. Watch
In a creative protest against Bengaluru's crumbling infrastructure, an artist, Badal Nanjundaswamy, and a few journalists staged a high-concept performance mimicking the hit show 'Squid Game.' The video, shot near St John's Hospital, brought attention to the hazardous conditions faced by pedestrians in one of the city's busiest stretches. Bengaluru residents dressed up like "Squid Game" characters and enacted a scene while navigating the supposedly dangerous footpaths of Bengaluru, to highlight civic apathy and substandard infrastructure in the tech hub. (X) ALSO READ | Bollywood Rolls-Royces rack up huge fines in Bengaluru, but here's the twist: Report Its 'Skid game' for Namma Bengaluru Dressed as iconic characters from the popular Netflix series, the group navigated cracked pavements, rocks, exposed cables, and gaping holes in the footpath, with challenges like leaping over open drains. The sequence — both dramatic and comical — captured the anxiety and absurdity of daily commutes for anyone on foot in Bengaluru. ALSO READ | Worm found in pongal at Rameshwaram Cafe's Bengaluru airport outlet, owners cry foul Performers wore vibrant uniforms from the show, recreating game-like tension to highlight civic apathy in the tech hub. The 26-second clip went viral, garnering over 142.6K views in a few hours. Viral humour with a serious message The video generated laughs, but left viewers with an unmistakable message that walking in Bengaluru should not be an obstacle course. Watch the hilarious video here: Anantha Subramanyam K, a photo editor, wrote, '…today early morning artist @baadalvirus along with select journalists from city enacted a sequence from #SquidGame to showcase the woes of pedestrian risking on city's appalling infra concerns. #CivicApathy #Bengaluru.' ALSO READ | From ₹5,000 salary to ₹46 LPA: 35-year-old Bengaluru man's 'inspiring' journey goes viral 'But i like the fact BBMP has ensured the best super speciality hospital St John Hospital is close by, so in case of emergency help is not too far,' a social media use remarked. 'Who would have thought games like road-rash super mario were meant for training us for this future..,' another wrote.
Deccan Herald
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Deccan Herald
Bengaluru bizman fined Rs 38 lakh for unpaid road tax on luxury cars bought from Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan
Bengaluru: Transport authorities have fined scrap dealer-turned-billionaire Yousuf Shariff, popularly known as KGF Babu, nearly Rs 40 lakh for using two Maharashtra-registered Rolls-Royce cars in Bengaluru without paying the required road tax. One of the cars (MH 02-BB-0002) was bought second-hand from Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan, and the other (MH11-AX-0001) from actor Aamir Khan. A team led by Joint Commissioner of Transport (Bengaluru Urban) Shobha M searched Shariff's residence in Vasanthnagar on Wednesday and inspected his collection of luxury cars. .Ferrari owner in Bengaluru forced to pay Rs 1.42 crore after evading found that both Rolls-Royces were being used in Karnataka without paying the applicable road tax. As per transport department rules, any vehicle registered outside Karnataka and used continuously in the state for over a year must pay the applicable road tax. The department fined Shariff Rs 19,83,367 for the Rolls-Royce bought from Khan, and Rs 18,53,067 for the one purchased from Bachchan. Shobha said Yelahanka RTO officials had noticed the Rolls-Royces being used in Bengaluru and issued notices to Shariff. "He did not respond to the notices and claimed he was in Mumbai — and so were the cars," Shobha told DH. However, department officials recently discovered that both cars were being used regularly in Bengaluru and decided to take action. "We visited his residence and found both cars. We conducted an inspection and asked him to pay the applicable road tax and fine. He paid through demand drafts as we don't accept cheques," Shobha said. She added that both cars were quite old. Bachchan's Rolls-Royce is 17 years old, while the one bought from Khan is 15 years old. Shariff bought Bachchan's car in 2021 and Khan's in 2023, the official said. Shariff's wife Shaziya Tarannum confirmed the development to DH, stating that the applicable fines had been paid through demand drafts. A native of Kolar Gold Fields (KGF), Shariff is also known by the nicknames Gujri Babu, Scrap Babu and Raddi Babu, a reference to his earlier business of scrap trade. Shariff later made it big in real estate. In 2021, Shariff contested the Karnataka Legislative Council election from the Bangalore Urban local authorities' constituency on a Congress ticket but lost. He had declared assets worth Rs 1,744 crore belonging to himself and his family, making him one of the richest political candidates in Karnataka. In 2023, he contested the assembly election from Chickpet in Bengaluru as an independent after the Congress denied him the ticket. He secured 20,931, or 16.25%, of the total votes cast, finishing third. The BJP's Uday Garudachar won the seat with 57,299 votes. The Congress candidate, RV Devaraj, came second with 45,186 votes.
USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Steelers edge defenders T.J. Watt and Nick Herbig rolling in style at training camp
When it comes to the Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, you never know what you are going to see. As players arrive on Wednesday. We've seen Rolls-Royces, tractors, and everything in between. And now we have E-bikes. Steelers edge defender Nick Herbig showed up to training camp on Wednesday with not one but two E-bikes in tow. According to ESPN reporter Brooke Pryor, the smaller bike, as seen in the post below, belongs to Herbig, and he was just hauling the larger bike for fellow edge defender T.J. Watt. The Steelers are in their 55th year of training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. The players always bring some of their comforts of home as the team, for the most part, stays in the dorms for the entire training camp. There have been notable exceptions over the years, but it's good to see Watt, the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, is willing to bunk up with his teammates on campus and isn't demanding any special treatment. Wednesday is check-in day with the team's first training camp practice scheduled for Thursday, July 24.
Deccan Herald
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Deccan Herald
Bengaluru bizman fined Rs 40L for unpaid road tax on luxury cars bought from Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan
Bengaluru: Transport authorities have fined scrap dealer-turned-billionaire Yousuf Shariff, popularly known as KGF Babu, nearly Rs 40 lakh for using two Maharashtra-registered Rolls-Royce cars in Bengaluru without paying the required road tax. One of the cars (MH11-AX-0001) was bought second-hand from Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan, and the other (MH 02-BB-0002) from actor Aamir Khan. A team led by Joint Commissioner of Transport (Bengaluru Urban) Shobha M searched Shariff's residence in Vasanthnagar on Wednesday and inspected his collection of luxury cars. .Ferrari owner in Bengaluru forced to pay Rs 1.42 crore after evading found that both Rolls-Royces were being used in Karnataka without paying the applicable road tax. As per transport department rules, any vehicle registered outside Karnataka and used continuously in the state for over a year must pay the applicable road tax. The department fined Shariff Rs 19,83,367 for the Rolls-Royce bought from Khan, and Rs 18,53,067 for the one purchased from Bachchan. Shobha said Yelahanka RTO officials had noticed the Rolls-Royces being used in Bengaluru and issued notices to Shariff. "He did not respond to the notices and claimed he was in Mumbai — and so were the cars," Shobha told DH. However, department officials recently discovered that both cars were being used regularly in Bengaluru and decided to take action. "We visited his residence and found both cars. We conducted an inspection and asked him to pay the applicable road tax and fine. He paid through demand drafts as we don't accept cheques," Shobha said. She added that both cars were quite old. Bachchan's Rolls-Royce is 17 years old, while the one bought from Khan is 15 years old. Shariff bought Bachchan's car in 2021 and Khan's in 2023, the official said. Shariff's wife Shaziya Tarannum confirmed the development to DH, stating that the applicable fines had been paid through demand drafts. A native of Kolar Gold Fields (KGF), Shariff is also known by the nicknames Gujri Babu, Scrap Babu and Raddi Babu, a reference to his earlier business of scrap trade. Shariff later made it big in real estate. In 2021, Shariff contested the Karnataka Legislative Council election from the Bangalore Urban local authorities' constituency on a Congress ticket but lost. He had declared assets worth Rs 1,744 crore belonging to himself and his family, making him one of the richest political candidates in Karnataka. In 2023, he contested the assembly election from Chickpet in Bengaluru as an independent after the Congress denied him the ticket. He secured 20,931, or 16.25%, of the total votes caste, finishing third. The BJP's Uday Garudachar won the seat with 57,299 votes. The Congress candidate, RV Devaraj, came second with 45,186 votes.
