April 5, 2025: A disturbing trend has emerged in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura district, where low-income individuals, including farmers and small business owners, have received hefty tax notices from the income tax department. These notices, worth crore, have raised serious concerns about identity misuse and cyber fraud.

Saurabh Kumar, a farmer from Damodpura village, received a notice of Rs 30 crore on March 26, 2025. However, this isn’t his first encounter with such a notice, he had previously received a Rs 14 crore notice in 2022, which he dismissed as mistake. Further investigation revealed that his PAN card had been misused to register fake GST numbers and fraudulent firms operating in his name.

The local police have assured that they will investigate and take legal action once an official complaint is filed. This incident highlights the need for vigilance and swift action against identity theft and cybercrime.

Other low income workers, including a juice seller, locksmith and contract employee have also received tax notices worth crores, sparking concerns about the Yogi Adityanath led govt’s response to these incidents.