In an unprecedented incident, Ludhiana resident Amandeep Singh received the shock of his life when he was refused a vehicle loan for being a GST defaulter. This was despite the fact that he was a small-time worker in a hosiery firm in the city, and neither he nor any of his family members had ever engaged in any kind of business. Upon thorough investigation, it emerged that unknown scammers had fraudulently registered a GST number under Amandeep’s name, using his personal information without his knowledge. According to the victim, the scammers executed bogus billing amounting to Rs. 50 to Rs. 60 crores, defrauding the exchequer of several crores of GST. In an effort to clear his name, Amandeep began investigating the scam himself. However, as he was unable to regularly show up for work at the factory where he was employed, he eventually lost his job.
Elaborating further on his ordeal, Amandeep Singh, a resident of Shimla Colony in Basti Jodhewal area, stated, “In 2023, I applied for a vehicle loan but was told by the consultant to first file Income Tax Returns (ITR), after which the loan amount would be determined. Subsequently, I contacted a tax professional who requested my Aadhaar and PAN card copies. Upon furnishing all the documents, I was informed that I could not obtain the loan because I was listed as a GST defaulter, supposedly running a firm in Delhi that had engaged in GST fraud with a turnover of more than Rs. 50 crores.”
Amandeep further added, “Upon learning about this fraud, I was traumatized and unsure of what steps to take or whose help to seek. Eventually, I gathered some courage and visited the GST department in Ludhiana, pleading before the officers for assistance. They provided me with some details about the fake firm registered under my name. Despite facing setbacks, including the loss of my job, I persisted in collecting evidence of the fraud. After gathering as much information as possible for almost one year, I filed a complaint with the Ludhiana police. Based on my complaint, an FIR was registered on March 1st, 2024, at Police Station Jodhewal.”
Amandeep also confirmed to Thesocial24 that he has been informed by police officials that four culprits involved in the fraud have been identified, and raids are underway to arrest them.