Meet ‘KGF Babu’: Karnataka neta fined Rs 38 lakh for dodging road tax on Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan’s luxury cars

A Bengaluru businessman and politician, Yusuf Sharif—popularly known as ‘KGF Babu’—has been fined Rs 38.26 lakh for failing to pay road tax on two luxury vehicles once owned by Bollywood legends Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan.

According to a Moneycontrol report, the high-end vehicles, though still registered under the actors’ names, have been in use in Bengaluru since 2021 and 2023, respectively. As per Karnataka’s Motor Vehicle Act, any out-of-state vehicle used in the state for over a year must be re-registered locally with road tax duly paid.

Sharif, who allegedly bought the cars years ago, never completed the legal ownership transfer. As a result, the transport department levied a penalty of Rs 18.53 lakh on Bachchan’s former vehicle and Rs 19.73 lakh on Khan’s, citing prolonged non-compliance.


Interestingly, one of the vehicles was flagged by the RTO in 2021, but escaped penalty as it hadn’t completed a year in Karnataka. However, both have since crossed the threshold, triggering the massive fines.

From Scrap Dealer to Supercar Collector

Yusuf Sharif, famously known as ‘KGF Babu’, got his moniker from Kolar Gold Fields—the mining town that inspired the KGF film franchise. A Class 5 dropout who began his journey in the scrap business, Sharif slowly built an empire by acquiring government-auctioned machinery and properties. His fortune took off in real estate, and by the time of the 2021 Karnataka MLC elections, he declared assets worth a staggering ₹1,744 crore.

Despite his immense wealth, Sharif's failure to re-register and pay road tax on two luxury cars—once owned by Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan—has now roped the Bollywood icons into a legal tangle they had nothing to do with.

Today, Sharif reportedly owns a fleet of luxury cars that rivals even the flashiest celebrity garages. Among them is the iconic Rolls-Royce Phantom once gifted to Amitabh Bachchan by director Vidhu Vinod Chopra after Eklavya. The car eventually landed in the hands of Sharif’s firm, Umrah Developers, marking a symbolic milestone in his rags-to-riches journey.