Mumbai, April 25 (PTI): Two persons who had helped Sushmita Sen buy an imported SUV were arrested today on charges of undervaluing the vehicle and changing the chassis number.

Car dealer Haren Pravin Choksi had imported the Toyota Landcruiser for the actress in 2005 in the name of Srinivas Bala Shetty, a day labourer who worked in Saudi Arabia, police said.

Shetty’s name was used to show the import as transfer of residence (TR) and avoid paying duty.

“Shetty was working in a garment factory in Saudi Arabia and fulfilled the terms for getting a car under TR. He was contacted by the cartel of which Choksi is a part and paid Rs 12,000 to allow the import of the vehicle in his name,” deputy commissioner of police Ramrao Pawar said.

Pawar, however, added that Sushmita was “innocent” and knew nothing of the methods adopted by Choksi. “She just paid Rs 56 lakh for getting the vehicle, which she still uses.”

In the documentation, Choksi had shown the SUV as hypothecated to Sushmita against a loan she was said to have given Shetty.

Although the SUV was manufactured in 2004, the documents described it as a 1998 make and the engine and chassis numbers were changed. “It was undervalued in the process,” the commissioner said.

When the directorate of revenue intelligence found this out after an investigation, it slapped a fine of Rs 20 lakh on Sushmita. The actress filed a writ petition in the high court.

Both Choksi and Shetty were granted bail by the high court. They were arrested today after the police registered a fresh case of cheating, forgery and violations of the passport act against them.

A local court has remanded the duo in police custody till April 30.