Billionaire scrap-dealer-turned-politician Yousuf Shariff, famously known as KGF Babu, has been slapped with a hefty fine of nearly ₹40 lakh by Bengaluru’s transport authorities for using two Maharashtra-registered Rolls-Royce cars in Karnataka without paying the required road tax.
The luxury cars—one bought second-hand from Amitabh Bachchan (MH 02-BB-0002) and the other from Aamir Khan (MH11-AX-0001)—had been used regularly in Bengaluru, despite being registered in another state. Under Karnataka law, any out-of-state vehicle used continuously for over a year must pay road tax locally.
Officials fined Shariff ₹19.83 lakh for Khan’s 15-year-old Rolls-Royce and ₹18.53 lakh for Bachchan’s 17-year-old model. The enforcement action was led by Joint Commissioner of Transport (Bengaluru Urban) Shobha M, who said Shariff had initially claimed the cars were in Mumbai. However, both vehicles were found during a search of his Vasanthnagar residence.
“He ignored earlier notices from the RTO. When we found the cars in Bengaluru, we issued fresh orders and collected the fine via demand drafts,” said Shobha.
Shariff’s wife, Shaziya Tarannum, confirmed the payment. Known as Scrap Babu or Raddi Babu for his roots in the scrap business, Shariff amassed a fortune in real estate and declared assets worth ₹1,744 crore during the 2021 MLC elections.
After failing to secure a Congress ticket in 2023, he contested independently from Chickpet and finished third, securing over 20,000 votes.