Egg Seller and Juice Vendor Slapped with Crores in GST Dues Due to Alleged Identity Theft
In a bizarre and troubling turn of events, two small-time vendors—an egg seller from Madhya Pradesh and a juice vendor from Uttar Pradesh—have received GST notices demanding payment of taxes running into crores of rupees. Both cases appear to be instances of identity theft, where their personal documents may have been misused to register shell companies engaging in bogus transactions.
₹6 Crore GST Notice for an Egg Seller
Prince Suman, a humble egg vendor in Damoh district, Madhya Pradesh, was stunned to receive a GST notice demanding ₹6 crore. According to tax officials, a firm registered in his name had allegedly transacted nearly ₹50 crore trading in leather, wood, and iron. The catch? The business was reportedly registered in Delhi—a city Suman has never even visited.
The business, named “Prince Enterprises,” was allegedly registered using his personal details in 2022. Suman maintains he had no involvement and suspects his documents were stolen or forged by unknown entities to commit tax fraud.
Juice Vendor Targeted for ₹7.5 Crore
In a similar case from Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, Md Rahees, who runs a roadside juice stall, found himself at the receiving end of a GST notice claiming he owed over ₹7.5 crore. Authorities alleged that fraudulent transactions were carried out under a firm falsely registered in his name during the financial year 2020–21.
Rahees, who earns a modest income from his stall, expressed disbelief, stating he has never been involved in any business even remotely resembling the scale of transactions listed in the notice.
A Symptom of a Deeper Problem
These incidents have sparked widespread concern about the ease with which fraudsters can misuse personal documents to register bogus firms and conduct fake invoicing under someone else’s identity. The consequences are grave, especially for individuals from modest economic backgrounds who lack the resources to navigate complex legal and bureaucratic systems.
Both victims have approached local authorities and are seeking formal investigations to clear their names. These cases underscore the urgent need for stronger verification systems in GST registration processes and better safeguards for protecting citizen identities from misuse.
