A poor dhaba cook from Madhya Pradesh's Bhind district has been slapped with an income tax notice of Rs 46 crore - an amount he says he has never even dreamed of seeing in his lifetime.
The victim, Ravindra Singh Chauhan, earns barely Rs 10,000 a month as a cook in Gwalior. But according to the Income Tax Department, crores of rupees were routed through a Delhi-based bank account opened in his name, leaving him entangled in a legal and financial nightmare.
How the Scam Began
The ordeal traces back to 2017-18, when Ravindra worked as a helper at a toll plaza run by a private company. His supervisor, Shashi Bhushan Rai from Bihar, allegedly lured him and three colleagues into opening new bank accounts in Delhi with promises of quick PF withdrawals and a monthly incentive of Rs 5,000-10,000.
Tempted by the offer, Ravindra opened an account in November 2019. However, the promised benefits never arrived. Later, when he attempted to close the account, he was told it required clearance from the GST branch. Believing his supervisor, Ravindra left the matter in Rai's hands. By 2022, the supervisor disappeared, leaving Ravindra completely in the dark.
The Rs 46-Crore Shock
On April 9, 2025, Ravindra's family received the first income tax notice at their Bhind residence. Being poorly educated and unfamiliar with English, neither he nor his wife could make sense of it. When a second notice arrived on July 25, Ravindra consulted local lawyer Pradyuman Singh Bhadoria, who broke the shocking news - a staggering Rs 46 crore transaction had been recorded in his name.
Further checks revealed Ravindra held two accounts:
- His Bhind account, which showed transactions under Rs 3 lakh in three years.
- The Delhi account, linked to a firm called Shaurya Trading Company, which allegedly routed transactions worth Rs 46 crore. Around Rs 13 lakh still remains in that account.
Legal Dead-End
Lawyer Bhadoria helped Ravindra file complaints with the Income Tax office in Gwalior and later the Siraul police station. However, Gwalior police refused to register a case, citing jurisdiction issues.
"The complainant opened the account in Delhi, and the transactions took place in Delhi. No crime happened in Gwalior. He must go to Delhi to file a case," police officials said.
The tax notice has upended Ravindra's life. He quit his job and now spends his days shuttling between government offices and police stations, desperately trying to prove his innocence.
"I work in a dhaba. In a year, my account doesn't even see Rs 3 lakh. Then how did this notice of crores come?" Ravindra said, his voice trembling with despair.
Forced to abandon his cooking job, his family's fragile financial condition has worsened. "I had to leave school after Class 6 because of poverty. I started cooking to survive. Now I don't know why I am being punished for something I never did," he said.
The Bigger Picture
This case highlights how vulnerable low-income workers can be manipulated into fraudulent financial activities without their knowledge. With millions of Indians forced to trust middlemen for banking and compliance needs, experts warn that more such cases may surface unless stricter safeguards are implemented.
For Ravindra, however, the battle has only just begun - a fight to prove his innocence and escape the crushing weight of a Rs 46-crore tax notice that has turned his world upside down.
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