Ludhiana: GST fraud using city man’s identity uncovered, probe on

Fraudsters misused the identity of a 24-year-old Ludhiana resident to obtain a GST number and open a firm, facilitating transactions worth crores of rupees. The Jamalpur police have registered an FIR against the unidentified accused.

Victim Anurag Singh, a resident of Shanker Colony, Bhamian Kalan, said he was stunned to receive an income tax notice via email on November 25 regarding a business he never started, demanding explanations for transactions worth crores of rupees. The victim later discovered that someone had fraudulently used his PAN and Aadhaar details to get a GST number and open a firm without his knowledge.

Anurag said he works at a cycle manufacturing company. He said the income tax notice mentioned that he had started a business in partnership with a woman named Palwinder Kaur between 2022 and 2023, with transactions worth crores linked to the firm. Anurag immediately approached the income tax office, clarifying that he neither knew Palwinder Kaur nor had he ever started a business. As an employee, he is not permitted to engage in business activities.

Inspector Kulbir Singh, station house officer at the Jamalpur police station, stated that an FIR was registered based on Anurag’s complaint and supporting documents provided by the income tax department. “The accused used the victim’s identity to create a fake firm and conduct financial transactions. We will seek details from the GST department and the banks involved to trace the culprits,” said Singh.

Sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing someone to deliver property), 467 (Forgery of valuable security, will, etc.), 468 (forgery with the intent to cheat), and 471 (Using as genuine a forged document or electronic record) of the Indian Penal Code have been slapped. The police have launched an investigation to identify the accused.