Fake firm, PAN Misuse: Mumbai man working in UAE files police complaint over identity theft after shock GST demand from Income Tax department
In a startling case of identity theft, a 48-year-old non-resident Indian (NRI) based in the UAE has filed a police complaint in Mumbai after receiving a ₹2.84 crore GST notice for a business he claims he has never heard of. The man, Jitendra Adsool, works at an aviation consultancy firm and has alleged that his PAN card was misused by fraudsters to run a bogus firm named ‘Cultural Traders’, reported caclubindia.com.
The fraudulent activity allegedly took place between 2019 and 2022, during which Adsool’s PAN was reportedly cloned and used to file GST returns for the fake entity. He was issued a tax notice dated March 17 this year, prompting him to reach out to his family in Santacruz, Mumbai.
Adsool was accused of operating a firm with ₹13.8 crore turnover—despite having no knowledge of the business.
After consulting a chartered accountant, Adsool approached the Vakola police and registered an FIR against unknown individuals under charges including forgery, identity theft, and cheating. His CA’s preliminary investigation confirmed that the PAN card details had likely been cloned for the fictitious business.
Despite reaching out to the Income Tax Department, Adsool says his pleas were ignored until he took legal action.
As follow-up emails from the tax department continued, Adsool and his family felt compelled to escalate the matter. The police have now launched an investigation to identify the culprits behind the forged documents and the fraudulent firm
This incident underscores the growing concern around digital and financial fraud in India—particularly involving identity theft using PAN cards. Financial experts have urged NRIs and residents alike to routinely monitor their PAN and Aadhaar activity to detect unusual or unauthorized usage.
