A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) soldier stationed in Bastar was in for a shock when he suddenly received a notice from the Income Tax Department for claiming a business turnover of Rs 10.51 crore.
He later discovered that a fraudulent company had been opened using his PAN card.
Vishesh Kumar Kashyap, a resident of Bakawand, told the Income Tax Department that he has not opened any company nor engaged in financial dealings. Further investigation revealed that a fake company had been opened by someone who misused Kashyap’s PAN card.
The Income Tax Department sent this notice based on transactions from the financial years 2019-20 and 2020-21. The officer immediately filed a complaint at the Bakawand police station, after which the police registered a case against some unknown accused under section 318(4) of the Indian Penal Code.
Police Traces Kolkata Angle
The investigation revealed that some scammers had registered a company using Kashyap’s identity and made transactions worth crores. Bastar Cyber Cell in-charge Geetika Sahu said that the initial investigation indicated a connection with a firm based in Kolkata.
According to the police, it is believed that the accused used the soldier’s PAN card for large-scale financial activities. Officials have requested relevant documents and are investigating the bank accounts involved in these transactions.
Bastar Police and Cyber Cell suspected that this case is related to identity theft and a network of shell companies. Authorities are trying to find out how and who obtained the soldier’s PAN card.
“This case appears to be a conspiracy by an organised gang. The investigation is being carried forward in collaboration with the Income Tax Department and financial institutions,” a senior officer told News18 Hindi.
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