TN farmer gets Rs 2.47 crore GST notice, alleges identity theft, files complaint

PUDUCHERRY: A 32-year-old farmer in a small village near Gudiyatham in Vellore district was shocked to receive a notice from the GST assistant commissioner (Ambur circle) directing him to pay Rs 2.47 crore tax, including interest and penalties for the financial year 2023-24. The farmer, identified as S Prabhakar, son of Selvaraj, alleged that unidentified people stole his identity to register a fraudulent business entity.

The farmer, who lives in a modest tin-roofed house in Mottur village within the Veerichettipalli panchayat, earns a meagre living through small-scale farming and cattle rearing.

Immediately after receiving the notice, he contacted Ambur GST assistant commissioner’s office to clarify that he does not own any such business and is merely a simple labourer. The officials advised him to file a formal police complaint to address the potential identity theft, following which he lodged a complaint with the Paradarami police.

"I received a notice from the Ambur GST department stating that a business titled ‘Raju Traders’ is being operated in my name. The notice claimed that I have failed to pay GST for the financial year 2023-2024 and demands a total payment of Rs 2.47 crore, which includes the pending tax, interest, and penalties," he said in the complaint.

He clarified that he had never started any business in the name ‘Raju Traders.’ “I am a simple labourer living in a house with a metal sheet roof. I can't conduct business worth crores of rupees. Someone has illegally obtained my personal documents to fraudulently register this GST number. The incident has caused severe mental agony and distress to my entire family and me. I am deeply worried that I might be held legally responsible for financial irregularities committed by someone else using my identity,” he said, urging police to initiate stringent action against the culprit.

He said police had promised to initiate an investigation into how his personal details had been accessed and used to create a fraudulent business entity by the culprits and nab them.