Mahesh Manjrekar grilled on Land Cruiser purchase

Actor-director Mahesh Manjrekar was questioned on Monday by the customs department for his alleged violation of the transfer of residence rules (TR) under the Customs Act that challenges his ownership of a Land Cruiser Cygnus, he bought in 2004.

The TR rules allow the person and his/her family to import personal and household articles free of duty and other listed items on payment of a concessional rate of duty. It prohibits the sale of an imported car for two years.

Manjrekar had purchased the car from Haren Choksey, a dealer for Skoda cars who imported the Land Cruiser for him. He sold it back to the dealer after using it for 10 months, who in turn sold it to a third party.

Choksey had been arrested earlier by the department of revenue intelligence and economic offences wing for evading import duty on purchase of foreign cars. Other film personalities like Sushmita Sen and Saif Ali Khan had also purchased cars from Choksey for Rs37 lakh.

The evasion of duty came to light when officials learnt that the loan taken by the third party was adjusted against the bank loan taken by Manjrekar. The actor denied violating any law. “I was not aware that such vehicles should not be sold for two years from the date of import. How am I to know that the dealer had evaded duty? Nevertheless, if the customs levies any fine on me, I am ready to pay.”