Daijiworld Media Network- Rajasthan
Rajasthan, Apr 16: In a bizarre and distressing turn of events, a humble potter from a remote village in Rajasthan has been slapped with a whopping Rs 10.5 crore income tax notice, leaving him stunned and sleepless. Vishnu Kumar Prajapat, a resident of Jhaliji Ka Barana in Bundi district, who ekes out a modest living making and selling earthen pots, now finds himself entangled in a massive financial fraud.
The notice, issued on March 11 by the income tax department in Bundi, accuses Vishnu of being involved in transactions amounting to Rs 10.61 crore with one Surendra Singh Babel during the financial year 2020–21. However, Vishnu, visibly distressed, categorically denies any such involvement and says he has never even heard of Babel.
Struggling to comprehend the origins of the notice, Vishnu has made several trips to the Income Tax offices in Bundi and Kota, pleading his case. “I have not slept properly since receiving the notice. My entire life has turned upside down,” he told reporters.
With no relief in sight, Vishnu took his plea to the Cyber Police Station in Bundi, filing an official complaint. The cyber police have now initiated an investigation into what appears to be a clear case of identity theft.
According to Vishnu, his Aadhaar, PAN, and other sensitive documents were allegedly misused to fraudulently register a GST firm in his name—Bhumika Trading, a sole proprietorship purportedly based in Girgaon, Mumbai. The GST registration, shockingly, dates back to March 19, 2020.
Further digging revealed that this fake firm had carried out financial dealings to the tune of Rs 2.83 crore with a private limited company whose directors' identities are publicly available online. Vishnu maintains he has no knowledge or connection with either the company or these transactions.
Officials have confirmed that the GST registration of Bhumika Trading was eventually cancelled owing to non-filing of returns. The transactions under scrutiny reportedly occurred between March 2020 and February 2021—a period during which Vishnu insists he remained completely unaware of any such activity.
In a written response to the tax notice, Vishnu declared his annual income to be just Rs 95,000—his first ever income tax filing. He has been given time until March 31, to furnish a formal reply to the department.
As the cyber crime team delves deeper into the case, officials have assured that the matter is being treated with due seriousness. Vishnu, meanwhile, continues to hope for justice and a return to his quiet life shaping clay into pots—not battling crores in fictitious financial dealings.