In an unexpected turn of events, a small-time egg seller from Madhya Pradesh’s Patharia town found himself at the center of an alarming financial inquiry.
Prince Suman, who spends his days selling eggs from a handcart, was left stunned when the Income Tax Department sent him a notice questioning financial transactions worth nearly ₹50 crore, reported The Times of India.
His family was equally shocked, struggling to understand how such a huge amount could be linked to their everyday life. Overwhelmed and confused, Prince had no idea how to address the situation.
In a bid to resolve the mystery, he filed a complaint with local authorities, including the Superintendent of Police in Damoh district, but what followed was even more baffling.
The notice, sent on March 20 by the Income Tax Department, demanded a detailed account of transactions totaling ₹49 crore 24 lakh 57 thousand 217, the report added.
The department requested documents such as bills, vouchers, transportation records, and bank statements from the financial year 2022-2023.
Prince was left in disbelief, unable to fathom how he was connected to such large-scale transactions.
The investigation soon revealed that Prince’s personal details had been misused. A company called “Prince Enterprise” had been fraudulently registered in his name in Delhi in December 2022, with a GST number obtained under false pretenses.
The company then conducted crores worth of financial transactions before abruptly shutting down. The company’s address was registered as Zone 3, Ward 33, Shop No. D 31, Flatted Factory Jhandewalan, Fitted Factory Complex, Delhi.
For Prince, this whole ordeal was like a nightmare he never saw coming. The simple egg seller from Patharia found himself tangled in a web of fraud he never knew existed.
Similar instances of identity theft for money laundering have emerged across Madhya Pradesh in recent years, with young workers and students becoming victims, the report mentioned.
Investigators are now trying to unravel the extent of this growing fraud, while the victims, like Prince, are left to pick up the pieces.