In a startling case that has brought into question the misuse of identity documents and systemic loopholes, a middle-aged master mason from the Multai area of Betul district has received an income tax recovery notice worth Rs 314.79 crore-despite claiming to earn no more than Rs 500 a day.
Chandrashekhar Kohad, who has worked for years as a mason in Maharashtra, is at the centre of a financial mystery after receiving a recovery notice from the Income Tax department for unpaid dues related to assessment years 2014-15 and 2015-16. The notice was issued from a tax office in adjoining Maharashtra.
"I've never even seen Rs 1 lakh in one go. I don't know how such huge tax dues are pending against me," said Kohad, who is currently battling kidney and heart ailments and has been hospitalised earlier this year.
Kohad's life turned upside down when municipal authorities, after searching for him for over a week, traced him to his residence on Monday night. The massive tax notice has left his wife in shock and depression, while he struggles to understand how transactions worth over Rs 3 lakh crore were reportedly conducted through an account in his name.
Kohad alleges that a private bank agent in Nagpur who helped him open a current account years ago might have misused his documents. He claims that while the agent took his phone number, the account was never linked to it-raising suspicions of fraud.
"I used to deposit just Rs 200-300 daily in that bank account. I fear that someone used my identity for illegal transactions. The bank agent or someone else might have the answers," he said.
This incident comes shortly after another shocking case from Damoh district in Madhya Pradesh, where Prince Suman, a roadside egg vendor, received a Rs 6 crore GST notice for a Delhi-based firm, Prince Enterprises, allegedly registered in his name with a Rs 50 crore turnover between 2022 and 2024.
His father, Sridhar Suman, has filed a complaint with the SP-Damoh office, demanding an investigation into the fraudulent registration and misuse of their family's credentials.
Systemic Issues and Rising Identity Fraud
These back-to-back cases of massive tax notices served to poor individuals with no business background highlight a growing concern around identity theft and financial fraud. Experts say that weak KYC norms, misuse of PAN and Aadhaar details, and lack of proper monitoring in bank account openings are creating a dangerous avenue for financial criminals.
As investigations unfold, both Kohad and Suman seek justice, hoping that government agencies will take swift action to protect innocent citizens from becoming scapegoats in elaborate financial scams.
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