Use of Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) in countries like India is 'criminal', Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said on Friday and pitched for evolving an effective fuel policy regime to discourage the use of such vehicles that emit more carbons.

"The luxurious growth of large-size vehicles like SUVs is really a growth of concern... use of vehicles like SUVs and BMW in countries like India is criminal," Ramesh said at a UN function here. "I think, we seriously need to think about fuel policy regime," he said.