H1 Car Care Vs State of Karnataka & Others (Karnataka High Court)
Lamborghini Seized in Top Gear, Due Process Left Behind: Karnataka HC Quashes FIR
An Expensive Car, a Disputed Registration and a Hasty Seizure
The Karnataka High Court has quashed the FIR against the purchaser of a Lamborghini Huracan and directed its release, holding that the authorities had seized the vehicle without following the procedure prescribed by law. The Court also directed a departmental enquiry against the Senior Motor Vehicle Inspector responsible for the action. However, the judgment expressly preserved the State’s liberty to proceed afresh in accordance with law. The relief against unlawful seizure did not extinguish any tax liability that might lawfully be established.
The petitioner, H1 Car Care, represented by its proprietor J. Ramakrishnaiah, purchased the vehicle from Hoysala Automotive Private Limited on 1 September 2025 for ₹3,00,68,729. Manufactured in 2021, the car had previously been sold to another company in 2022 with temporary registration and permission to obtain permanent registration in Telangana.
According to the petitioner, the earlier purchaser did not obtain permanent registration and returned the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer subsequently used it as a demonstration vehicle before selling it at a reduced price. It was thereafter registered in the petitioner’s name under registration number KA03NX0016.
