Power Cut Because He Can't Pay Bill, UP Man Gets Rs 11-Crore Tax Notice

His electricity had been disconnected because he couldn't pay his bill, but that didn't prevent an Aligarh man from getting the shock of his life.

The labourer, whose wife is suffering from tuberculosis, has received a notice from the Income Tax department stating that he owes them over Rs 11 crore in outstanding taxes. And he is one of three such people in the Uttar Pradesh district - the others being a juice vendor and a cleaner - who have been sent similar notices in the past fortnight alone, prompting speculation that their Aadhaar and PAN cards may have been misused.

Standing in front of his house, which was in the dark, Yogesh Sharma, who works at a factory that manufactures springs used for locks, said his family's financial situation was already abysmal and they were so shocked after getting the notice that and he his wife skipped multiple meals.

"The notice is dated March 20 and says that I owe the Income Tax department Rs 11.12 crore (Rs 11,11,85,991). I have never even heard of such an amount, much less seen it. My wife and I haven't eaten since we got the notice. I live on rent and the electricity has been cut since a week because I have not been able to pay the bill," said Mr Sharma.

"My wife has TB and she has been undergoing treatment. Everyone in the family is worried," he added.

Karan Kumar, who works as a cleaner on contract with the State Bank of India and earns Rs 15,000 a month, received an Income Tax notice of Rs 33.89 crore (Rs 33,88,85,368).

"I received the notice around 4 pm on Saturday. I have no idea how this has happened. I am trying to get this investigated and have been waiting for the first information report to be registered. I suspect that my PAN card and Aadhaar have been misused," said Mr Kumar.

'Never Seen So Much Money'

The third victim is Mohammed Raees, a juice seller who has got a notice for Rs 7.8 crore (Rs 7,79,02,457) on Saturday. "I don't know why this notice has been issued. I only sell juice. I have never seen so much money. What should I do now? We approached the I-T authorities who asked me if I had shared my personal documents with anyone. I said I have never done that," Mr Raees said.

"If Raees was a millionaire, would he run a juice shop? This is definitely a case of fraud," the juice seller's friend, Sohail, said.

(With inputs from Adnan Khan)