Kerala: Actor Baiju's Audi has history of flouting traffic laws, fined 7 times in one year

By Deepu Mohan | First Published Oct 15, 2024, 11:02 AM IST

Actor Baiju's luxury car, registered in Haryana, has violated several regulations in Kerala, lacking the necessary N.O.C. and road tax. He has been fined multiple times for not wearing a seatbelt, yet has avoided direct legal consequences, prompting authorities to investigate his address.

Thiruvananthapuram: Actor Baiju was involved in a recent accident in Thiruvananthapuram, and it has come to light that his luxury car has been violating several regulations in Kerala for the past year. The car, registered in Haryana, does not have the necessary N.O.C. (No Objection Certificate) for operating in Kerala, and it has not paid road tax either. Enforcement authorities have issued fines for not wearing a seatbelt on seven occasions.

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Baiju's official name is B. Santhosh Kumar. The Audi involved in the accident was purchased by a person with address in Haryana. According to the transport website, address is in Sector 49, Gurugram. However, the car changed its ownership twice before coming to Baiju. It first hit the road in 2015, was transferred to another owner in 2022, and then came into Baiju's possession in 2023. On October 20, 2023, the car was captured on the motor vehicle department's cameras for not having a seatbelt on, marking the beginning of Baiju’s legal troubles.

When a vehicle registered in Haryana is brought to Kerala, the law requires an N.O.C. from the Haryana Motor Vehicle Department to be presented within 30 days of arrival. This N.O.C. has not yet been provided. Additionally, road tax must be paid in Kerala. The first owner of the vehicle paid Rs 628,000 as tax for 15 years. Thus, Baiju must pay tax for the remaining years of the vehicle's validity, calculated at 15% of the car's value annually. However, Baiju has not paid any tax so far.

Since bringing the car to Kerala last October, he has been fined seven times for not wearing a seatbelt. Each time, he has paid the fines online, seemingly avoiding direct legal repercussions. If needed, he could have applied for special permission to drive the vehicle for just one year, but he has not submitted any application. Authorities are also investigating the validity of Baiju's address in Haryana, as a previous case involving actor Suresh Gopi highlighted similar issues.

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