Guard earning Rs 10,000 gets Rs 3 crore GST notice, loses job and ration card

Om Shukla's ration card has been cancelled and all his government benefits have also been revoked, leaving him in a dire situation at a time when he is already battling unemployment.

In Short

• GST claim alleges Om Shukla ran Rs 17 crore business
• Investigation ordered by Kanpur Police Commissioner
• The tax notice was issued on September 21, 2025

Om Shukla, who used to work as a security guard in Kanpur for a monthly salary of Rs 10,000, has had his life thrown into turmoil since he received a Goods and Services Tax (GST) recovery notice of approximately Rs 3 crore last year.

His ration card has been cancelled and all his government benefits have also been revoked, leaving him in a dire situation at a time when he is already battling unemployment.

The GST Department’s tax demand, dated September 21, 2025, stated that Shukla had conducted business worth more than Rs 17 crore in the name of a firm called Om Enterprises.

He approached the police and later visited a GST office with assistance from a traders' representative, but says he was advised to first submit a response to the notice.

Shukla also wrote to the GST headquarters in Delhi, but said his efforts yielded no result. He also appealed to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's office over the matter, but failed to secure any relief there as well.

Running post to pillars eventually affected his employment, leading to the loss of his job as a security guard at a private company due to frequent absences. The lingering tax liability has also made it difficult for Shukla to obtain a loan.

He now has some hope of getting relief as Kanpur Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal directed the Crime Branch to investigate the matter. This came after Shukla approached the official on Tuesday, August 18.

Earlier, Lal's predecessor, Akhil Kumar, had assured Shukla of an investigation into his complaint. However, no probe was conducted after that. According to the Police Commissioner's office, Shukla's documents and PAN card were allegedly used by someone else to conduct business in his name.

The Police Commissioner has ordered strict action against the culprits. Shukla believes that someone who had access to his personal documents deliberately misused his identity.

A local traders' body has said it is preparing a response on his behalf and will send it to the Central GST in an effort to secure relief for him.

The outfit has also accused tax officials of negligence, arguing that the activation of a Goods and Services Tax Identification Number (GSTIN) involves a multi-layered verification process, including that of the business premises, and questioned how a person earning Rs 10,000 a month could apparently be shown as conducting business worth several crores.

- Ends
(Based on inputs from Ranjai Singh)