PAN and Aadhaar Misuse: Clay Potter in Uttar Pradesh Gets GST Notice of Rs 1.25 Crore

In a very shocking case, a potter selling cheap clay pots in Uttar Pradesh has received a Goods and Services Tax (GST) notice of Rs 1.25 crore. The notice allegedly associates the potter with four companies running in Patna.

The potter, Mohammad Saeed, is a resident of Harchandpur in Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh. He sells earthen pots and earns a few pennies, through which he feeds a family of five. His elder son and younger son help with the pottery work, and his daughters help with the household work.

Saeed was shocked when he received this huge notice saying that he never operated any company. He believes that his personal documents, like PAN and Aadhaar, are misused to run fraudulent companies under his name.

He had received the first notice around six to seven months ago. Due to a lack of literacy, he could not understand it. However, when he received another notice, his family sought help to understand, after which the family came to know about the alleged tax liability worth over Rs 1.25 crore.

Saeed explained that, with the help of a villager years ago, he had obtained a PAN card and an Aadhaar card to apply for a loan. However, he claimed that he never received any loan, and his documents were also lost. He never received the loan and later lost the documents. Despite many efforts, he could not get financial help or start any business. Now Saeed suspects that his lost documents are misused to establish fake firms.

He said that he does not know anything about the firms to which he is being linked. His family is shocked at how such a huge demand can be raised against someone who sells cheap clay items for Rs 2 a piece. Saeed and his relatives have reached out to the District Magistrate requesting a proper, detailed investigation into the matter.

As of now, the locals have not made any statement on the matter.