Potter’s pot of woes overflows as IT Dept once again raises Rs 9 cr tax demand it sent last year
Jaipur, March 26 (IANS) A roadside potter who received a whopping Rs 9 crore tax notice from the Income Tax Department last year is in extreme distress once again as the department has yet again issued a staggering tax demand of nearly Rs 9 crore from the poor man, leaving his family reeling with shock.
Vishnu Kumar Prajapat, who earns a modest livelihood making and selling earthen pots, said the notice dated March 18 directs him to deposit Rs 8,98,79,260 within a month.
Since receiving the communication, he and his family have been under severe stress and unable to sleep.
Despite visiting multiple government offices to get the mammoth error rectified, Vishnu Kumar Prajapat claims he has not received any relief so far from the officials of the Income Tax Department.
According to Vishnu Kumar Prajapat, he first received the shocking notice from the Income Tax Department, Bundi, on March 11, 2025. The notice alleged that he had carried out sales transactions worth Rs 10.61 crore with a person identified as Surendra Singh Babel during the financial year 2020–21.
However, Vishnu Kumar Prajapat has denied any knowledge of such a person or transactions.
Upon checking records on the Income Tax and GST portals, he discovered that a firm named Bhumika Trading had been registered in Girgaon, Mumbai, on March 19, 2020, using his credentials. Vishnu suspects that unknown individuals misused his Aadhaar, PAN, and other documents to register the firm and conduct financial transactions without his knowledge.
Records also indicate that the firm carried out transactions worth Rs 2.83 crore with another company, which he says he has no connection with. These transactions reportedly took place between March 19, 2020, and February 1, 2021 — during which Prajapat maintains he was completely unaware of any such activities.
The department had given him time until March 31, 2025, to reply to the notice. Prajapat stated that he filed his income tax return for the first time, declaring an annual income of just ₹95,000.
On April 16, 2025, Prajapat lodged a First Information Report (FIR) at the Gendoli Police Station, alleging that business transactions were being conducted using his PAN card number and that tax notices had been issued in his name. However, the police allegedly filed a Final Report (FR) in the matter without informing the victim of the fraud.
A distressed Vishnu Kumar Prajapat apprised the Superintendent of Police of the matter on Wednesday, who subsequently gave an assurance that the case would be investigated by an officer of the Deputy Superintendent of Police rank.
“The victim had indeed filed an FIR earlier. Inquiries regarding this have been conducted. The investigation will now be carried out at the level of the Deputy Superintendent of Police,” said Avneesh Sharma, Superintendent of Police, Bundi.
–IANS
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