Dec. 23: Enforcement directorate officers are in a fix about an item they have seized - a Rs 4.8-crore Rolls Royce Phantom.

The luxury car, an aspirational asset across the globe, belongs to Rose Valley chairman Gautam Kundu, who has been in custody since March 2015 in connection with a deposit-mobilisation scam.

Yesterday, the enforcement directorate had seized the car and other assets worth Rs 1,250 crore owned by the Rose Valley group.

"Kundu had bought the Rolls Royce in 2013 for Rs 4.8 crore," a directorate official said. "For us it is a property bought with ill-gotten money. It will remain where it stands parked and won't be used."

The car has remained in the ground floor parking lot of a boutique hotel on AJC Bose Road, owned by the Rose Valley group, since Kundu's arrest. The hotel is among the assets attached yesterday.

"The car will remain in the parking lot of the hotel till the case is disposed of, which will take years. We have to return the car to Kundu in the same condition if he wins the case."

Rolls Royce - brand guru David Ogilvy described it in an ad campaign: "At 60 miles per hour, the only noise you can hear is that of the clock" - is a status symbol among a section of the wealthy and Kundu had created a stir in the city after acquiring it.

Fitted with an eight-speed gearbox and a 6.8 litre 453 BHP 48V V-12 petrol engine, Rolls Royce Phantom remains one of the top-of-the line luxury experiences for those who want an indulgent private space on the wheels.

The Phantom revs up from 0 to 100kmph in 5.8 seconds. The interior of the car showcases supreme craftsmanship with the finest leatherwork, wood veneers and soft cashmere.

Directorate sources said Kundu's passion for cars began in the 1980s, when he was a mechanic at a small garage in Ultadanga.

Over the years as his fortunes soared, he went on buying cars.

Officers couldn't tell though when was the last time Kundu had cruised in his Phantom on Calcutta's roads.