Rs 48 lakh tax notice sends salesman into a tizzy

SURAT: A Surti salesman got the shock of his life when he received an IT notice asking him to pay Rs 48 lakh as tax after transactions of a whopping Rs 10.58 crore done in his bank account came to the department’s notice. The harassed man rushed to the cops complaining that he is ignorant of any such humongous transactions, or holds any current account of that name. Varaccha police registered a case of forgery and cheating against unidentified persons on Saturday for allegedly opening a current bank account using the salesman’s documents.

According to the complainant, Lalit Tholiya, 45, a resident of Vraj Chowk in Sarthana, the IT department seized his bank account and also withdrew Rs 2.35 lakh for not paying the tax amount it had sought as per the notices served. Tholiya claimed that he has no idea about the bank accounts in which the transactions were done and for which notices had been issued to him. He disclosed to police that he had opened a savings account with Allahabad Bank at Umarwada branch in October 2011, when he used to stay in Punagam, a few years ago. He had then submitted his pancard, driving license and electricity bill copies to open the account. In the same month, he also opened another current account in the name of Mansi Fashion with IDBI Bank at the Hira Baug branch to deposit the payments he received for his work.

However, Tholiya shifted to another place and also changed two addresses. At present he lives in Sarthana. A former neighbour of Punagam informed him about the letter that has come to his old address. When he checked, Tholiya found it to be an IT notice and went to check with the IT office. Here he came to know about the two accounts that were opened in his name in a bank.


During investigation, police found that the two accounts Mansi Creation and Mahek Fabrics had been opened in Tholiya’s name and transaction of Rs 10.58 crore had been done in these accounts till 2012. Police are now contacting the bank officials to find out what documents were given to the banks for the bank accounts at the time of opening.