MP egg seller receives ₹6 crore tax notice: Here's why
What's the story
An alleged case of identity theft has emerged from Madhya Pradesh's Damoh district, where an egg seller has received a ₹6 crore tax notice from the Income Tax Department.
The notice claims that a Delhi-based business operating in the egg seller's name transacted ₹50 crore over two years, without fulfilling its tax liabilities.
Company details
Company registered in seller's name
The company, Prince Enterprises, was registered in 2022 with State Zone 3, Ward 33, Delhi. The company reportedly dealt in leather, wood, and iron products.
It had a total turnover of ₹50 crore between 2022 and 2024, but never paid its GST dues, accumulating a massive tax burden of ₹6 crore.
Seller's statement
Egg seller unaware of company registration
Prince Suman, the Damoh-based egg seller, was shocked by the tax notice. He says he has never been to Delhi and has no knowledge of any company registered in his name.
"I have never been to Delhi, let alone start a company there," said Suman, who stays in Pathariya Nagar.
The revelation has left his family living in fear of being financially ruined due to the misuse of their identity.
Legal action
Investigation into identity theft case
In response to the tax notice, the I-T Department has sought bank statements and other financial documents from Suman.
His father, Shridhar Suman, has filed a formal complaint with the Superintendent of Police (SP), seeking an investigation into the matter.
Legal expert Abhilash Khare confirmed that a petition bringing this case of mistaken identity to the I-T Department's notice has been filed, along with a police complaint, to expose the perpetrators behind the scam.
Other incidents
Similar cases of identity theft reported
This is not an isolated incident, however. Many other cases of identity theft and money laundering have emerged from Madhya Pradesh in the last few years.
Here, IDs of students and young workers are being used for illegal purposes, making it difficult for investigators to untangle the complicated web of fraud, according to officials.
Other incident
Similar case reported from Uttar Pradesh
In an uncannily similar case, Md Rahees, a juice vendor in Uttar Pradesh's Aligarh, has been slapped with an I-T notice of over ₹7.5 crore.
The notice pointed out "bogus" transactions worth crores in 2020-21 in his name, resulting in GST liability of ₹7,79,02,457.
Rahees's mother said: "We struggle for our daily meals... If we had so much money, why would our son have to work so hard?"