Uttar Pradesh, July 26: Maharana Pratap Singh, 33, an entrepreneur from Khurja in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, has been caught in a difficult situation with the income-tax department. The successful operator of a YouTube news portal for the past four years, Singh was taken aback when he received a substantial notice in October 2022 demanding a staggering ₹2.6 crore in alleged dues.

After Singh sought professional advice from a Chartered Accountant (CA), he discovered that his PAN card was linked to seven registered firms, including one in Telangana, five in Delhi, and one in Uttar Pradesh, of which he claims not to have an idea about. Delhi: Cyber Criminals Use PAN Card Details of MS Dhoni, Abhishek Bachchan, Shilpa Shetty To Fool Fintech Firm 'One Card' for Credit Cards, Five Arrested.

According to a report by The Economic Times, Singh has lodged an official complaint with the SSP in Bulandshahr, asserting that his PAN card was seemingly exploited by what he refers to as "bogus companies" without his consent or awareness. With an average monthly income of ₹20,000 from his YouTube channel, the amount demanded by the income-tax department appears enormous. BBC Offices in Delhi and Mumbai Under I-T Department Scanner, Income Tax Officials Conduct Survey Operation.

The situation has prompted Singh to take the matter seriously, and his CA is diligently handling the six notices received from the income-tax department. Additionally, he has filed a complaint with the GST department, awaiting their response.

The cyber cell, under the leadership of Shlok Kumar, the SSP of Bulandshahr, is currently conducting a thorough investigation into the matter, scrutinizing all relevant documents. Once the investigation concludes, appropriate action will be taken as necessary to address the misuse of Singh's PAN card details by the allegedly fraudulent companies. Singh has expressed his concern over the magnitude of the amount demanded, stating that even if he were to sell all his assets, it would only cover a mere 10 per cent of the total sum.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 26, 2023 03:51 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).