VELLORE: A daily wage labourer, P Kavitha of Gudiyatham, employed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), in a case of possible identity theft, has received a tax notice demanding Rs 1.67 crore in dues and penalties from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) department.
The notice, issued by the office of the Joint Commissioner of Commercial Taxes (Chennai North), prompted her to file a complaint with the Vellore superintendent of police on Saturday.
According to official sources, GST registration was obtained in the name of Darshini Industries, a scrap trading firm based in Villivakkam, Chennai, allegedly using Kavitha’s Permanent Account Number (PAN) details and personal details of her husband, Panneerselvam, a 52-year-old farmer from Velleri village near Gudiyatham.
As per the notice, the firm reported a turnover of Rs 3.09 crore for the assessment year 2023–24 and accrued a GST liability of Rs 55.58 lakh under central and state taxes. Upon failure to pay the dues, a penalty of Rs 1.12 crore was imposed, raising the total amount payable to Rs 1.67 crore. The notice also mentioned that repeated summons had been issued to the registered individual, who had failed to appear or respond.
“During the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, my son was using my mobile phone to play an online game. He asked for my PAN number to continue playing, and I shared it without realising the consequences. Now I suspect this may have been misused towards a fake GST registration. We have no links whatsoever with any company named Darshini Industries. This appears to be a case of fraud,” she said in her petition to the SP.
She has urged the district police to intervene and resolve the matter. Officials have confirmed that an investigation is under way.