Synopsis
A potter in Rajasthan's Bundi district faces a ₹10.5 crore tax notice, claiming identity theft. He has no ties to the alleged transactions and is seeking help from authorities. The investigation is ongoing.Key Takeaways
- Vishnu Kumar Prajapat, a potter, received an Income Tax notice for ₹10.5 crore.
- He claims to be a victim of identity theft.
- The fraudulent GST registration was set up in his name.
- Vishnu's actual income is only ₹95,000.
- The investigation by the Cyber Police is underway.
Jaipur, April 15 (NationPress) A potter from Jhaliji Ka Barana village in Rajasthan’s Bundi district has received a shocking notice from the Income Tax Department, demanding a staggering ₹10.5 crore.
The young artisan, Vishnu Kumar Prajapat, who sustains himself by crafting and selling earthen pots, asserts he has no involvement with the questionable transactions and suspects his identity has been misappropriated.
The notice, dated March 11, was issued by the Income Tax Department in Bundi. Allegations suggest that Vishnu was part of a sales transaction amounting to ₹10.61 crore with an individual named Surendra Singh Babel during the financial year 2020–21.
However, Vishnu firmly states that he has never encountered or heard of this individual.
Since the delivery of the notice, Vishnu has been troubled and unable to sleep, prompting him to make numerous visits to the Income Tax offices in Bundi and Kota, but to no avail.
In frustration, he filed a formal complaint at the Cyber Police Station in Bundi, leading to an investigation by the authorities.
Upon reviewing the websites of the Income Tax and GST Departments, Vishnu found that a fraudulent GST registration had been set up in his name on March 19, 2020.
This registration was for a sole proprietorship called Bhumika Trading, located in Girgaon, Mumbai.
Vishnu claims an unidentified person exploited his Aadhaar, PAN, and other personal documents to establish the firm and engage in transactions.
Records indicate that the fraudulent firm executed financial dealings totaling ₹2.83 crore with another private limited company, whose directors' names are publicly accessible.
Vishnu asserts he has no ties to this company or the transactions.
The GST registration for Bhumika Trading has been canceled by the authorities due to non-compliance with return filings, according to officials.
The disputed financial transactions reportedly transpired between March 19, 2020, and February 1, 2021—a timeframe during which Vishnu claims to have been completely unaware of any such activities.
The Income Tax Department has given Vishnu until March 31, 2025, to address the notice.
In his statement, Vishnu reported his annual income as merely ₹95,000, marking his first instance of income tax filing. Meanwhile, the investigation is underway, and further inquiries are ongoing, officials noted.
