The RTI inquiry into PAN misuse in Mirzapur has revealed a concerning trend of fraudulent practices involving Permanent Account Numbers. Numerous cases have emerged, indicating that individuals are using the PANs of unsuspecting citizens to carry out illegal transactions and evade tax obligations. This not only poses a significant threat to the integrity of the financial system but also affects the victims whose identities are being misappropriated. Consequently, relevant authorities are urged to strengthen oversight mechanisms to prevent further misuse and protect honest taxpayers from falling prey to such scams, thereby ensuring a more transparent and accountable financial environment.
The investigation aims to hold accountable those responsible and mitigate the risks of identity theft.

Here are the key takeaways from the case of Shri Yogi M.P. Singh:

1. Massive Identity Theft & Financial Fraud

• The Scale: A personal PAN card (GSWPS0850Q) was used without consent to facilitate business transactions exceeding ₹163 Crore and a single suspicious transaction of ₹35 Crore.
• The Modus Operandi: Fraudsters updated the victim’s profile with a fake address in Raipur, Chhattisgarh to intercept tax notices and hide their activities.
• The Victim’s Vulnerability: Despite having no business and being below the taxable income limit, the victim is now legally entangled with the Income Tax Department due to these fraudulent entries.

2. The “Paper Trail” Paradox

• Departmental Disconnect: While the GST and Income Tax systems recorded hundreds of millions in turnover, the E-Filing portal claimed no bank account was linked to the PAN.
• Systemic Loophole: This suggests that criminals are successfully exploiting gaps between GST registration and banking verification, allowing them to launder money or evade taxes using “stolen” identities.

3. Failure of the RTI Process

• Evasive Tactics: The Public Information Officer (PIO) in Mirzapur failed to provide specific answers to the five points raised in the RTI application.
• Misleading Information: Instead of detailing the progress of the investigation or actions taken against the 200 fraudulent firms, the police simply provided a copy of a letter sent to the CBDT, effectively stalling the applicant’s quest for clarity.

4. Need for Structural Reform

• Urgent Coordination: The case proves that local police stations are ill-equipped to handle high-level financial cybercrime without direct, real-time cooperation from the CBDT and GST Intelligence.
• Digital Integrity: There is a pressing need for better verification methods (such as biometric alerts) when an individual’s PAN is suddenly used for high-value commercial transactions.

RTI Inquiry on PAN Misuse in Mirzapur: A Case Study of Systemic Failure in Mirzapur

The digital age has brought convenience, but it has also birthed a sophisticated breed of financial predators. A chilling example of this has emerged from Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, where an individual’s Permanent Account Number (PAN) was hijacked to facilitate transactions worth hundreds of millions of rupees.

The case of Shri Yogi M.P. Singh is not just a personal grievance; it is a glaring indictment of the loopholes in our financial monitoring systems and the bureaucratic hurdles citizens face when seeking justice under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.

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The Genesis of the Fraud: A PAN Misused

The ordeal began when the applicant, a resident of Surekapuram, discovered unknown entities using his PAN card (GSWPS0850Q) to conduct massive business operations. Despite not falling within the taxable income limit and operating no business, Mr Singh began receiving notices from the Income Tax Department.

The Staggering Numbers

The scale of the unauthorised transactions linked to his identity is astronomical: (RTI Inquiry on PAN Misuse in Mirzapur)

• FY 2020-21: Minor transactions involving securities and rent.
• FY 2022-23: Business receipts exceeding ₹1.49 Crore, GST purchases of ₹5.99 Crore, and a turnover of ₹8.63 Crore.
• Further Records: Subsequent notices indicated business receipts of ₹4.65 Crore and GST turnovers reaching a staggering ₹16.32 Crore.

The applicant also alleges a single fraudulent transaction of ₹35 Crore (350,000,000 INR) as evidenced by the Annual Information Statement (AIS) provided by the Income Tax Department.

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The Administrative Labyrinth: RTI vs. Reality

Seeking clarity, Mr. Singh filed an RTI application (Registration No. SPMZR/R/2025/60112) on May 11, 2025. He sought specific information on five critical points, including the identity of the 200 companies allegedly misusing his PAN and the progress of the police investigation into a fraudulent address in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, linked to his profile.

The Response: Information or Evasion? (RTI Inquiry on PAN Misuse in Mirzapur)

In June 2025, the Office of the Superintendent of Police, Mirzapur, responded. However, the “information” simply consisted of a copy of a letter that Inspector Jitendra Kumar, the Investigating Officer, sent to the Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).

While the letter acknowledged the FIR (No. 291/23) under Section 420 IPC and the IT Act (66C, 66D), it failed to answer the applicant’s specific queries regarding:

1. Action taken against the specific 200 fraudulent firms.
2. Here are the details of the bank accounts where they deposited these vast sums.
3. The status of the investigation into the Raipur address.

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Core Issue: The “Accountless” Paradox (RTI Inquiry on PAN Misuse in Mirzapur)

One of the most perplexing aspects of this case is the reply from the Income Tax Department, which they issued on December 6, 2024. They confirmed that no bank account links to the PAN on the E-Filing portal.

This creates a dangerous “black hole” in the investigation. If individuals transact hundreds of millions of rupees and file GST using a specific PAN, a financial trail must exist. The failure of the police and the IT department to reconcile the “GST Turnover” with “Linked Bank Accounts” suggests either a highly sophisticated spoofing method or a lack of coordination between inter-departmental investigative wings.

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The Raipur Connection: Identity Theft in Plain Sight

A significant red flag in this case is the User Profile Administration data. The victim’s PAN is registered to an address in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, despite him being a resident of Mirzapur. (RTI Inquiry on PAN Misuse in Mirzapur)

This is a classic “Ghost Identity” tactic. Criminals update the profile of a legitimate PAN holder with a new address to ensure that physical notices from the Tax Department go to a location controlled by the fraudsters, keeping the actual victim in the dark for as long as possible. The applicant’s query regarding the progress of the investigation into this Raipur address remains unanswered by the Mirzapur police.

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Why the Current Response is Misleading

The applicant has rightly filed an appeal under Section 19(1) of the RTI Act. The grievance is simple: a report addressed to a third party (the CBDT) is not the same as a response to an RTI applicant. (RTI Inquiry on PAN Misuse in Mirzapur)

• Lack of Specificity: The police report to the CBDT is a request for more information, whereas the RTI applicant is asking for the current status of the action already taken.
• Accountability Gap: By merely forwarding a letter of correspondence, the Public Information Officer (PIO) effectively bypassed the responsibility to provide a point-by-point progress report on the FIR.

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The Path Forward: What Needs to Change? (RTI Inquiry on PAN Misuse in Mirzapur)

This case highlights the urgent need for a more robust “Paperless and Transparent” governance system, as cited by the applicant in his reference to the Supreme Court’s guidelines.

1. Inter-Departmental Task Forces (RTI Inquiry on PAN Misuse in Mirzapur)

Identity theft involving GST and Income Tax requires a joint task force between the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), the Income Tax Department, and GST Intelligence. Relying on slow postal/mail correspondence between a local police station and the CBDT Chairman is ineffective.

2. Real-Time PAN Monitoring

The AIS (Annual Information Statement) is a great tool, but it is reactive. There should be a mechanism that requires high-value GST registrations on a “dormant” or “individual” PAN to trigger immediate biometric or multi-factor verification. (RTI Inquiry on PAN Misuse in Mirzapur)

3. RTI Accountability (RTI Inquiry on PAN Misuse in Mirzapur)

Train the PIOs to understand that providing “related documents” does not replace the need to “answer the query.” They often use misleading information as a stalling tactic, further victimising individuals who are already suffering from financial identity theft.

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Conclusion

Shri Yogi M.P. Singh’s case is a warning to every citizen. If someone can suddenly hold a resident of Mirzapur “responsible” for a ₹163 Crore GST turnover without his knowledge, they put the integrity of our financial identity system at stake. The Mirzapur Police and the CBDT must act with urgency—not just to clear Mr Singh’s name, but also to dismantle the network of 200 firms that are effectively laundering money under the guise of stolen identities. (RTI Inquiry on PAN Misuse in Mirzapur)

To assist you in following up on the misleading information and filing your appeal, here are the contact details for the relevant public authorities based on official records.

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1. Police Department – Mirzapur District (RTI Inquiry on PAN Misuse in Mirzapur)

These are the primary contacts for the Office of the Superintendent of Police and the specific station investigating your case.

Authority / Officer	Designation	Contact Number	Email Address
Superintendent of Police (SP)	District Head	+91-9454400299	spmzr-up@nic.in
Addl. SP (City)	PIO / Supervisory	+91-9454401104	asp-city.mi@up.gov.in
Addl. SP (Operation)	Senior Officer	+91-9454401105	asp-op.mi@up.gov.in
CO City (Mirzapur)	DSP	+91-9454401590	co-city.mi@up.gov.in
Inspector Jitendra Kumar	IO (Katra Station)	+91-9452788811	(Use Station Email)
Kotwali Katra Police Station	SHO / Station	05442-252243	pskotwalikatra.mzr-up@gov.in

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2. Income Tax Department & CBDT (RTI Inquiry on PAN Misuse in Mirzapur)

Since the Chairman of the CBDT received the Inspector’s report, you should escalate your grievance regarding the “unlinked bank accounts” here.

• Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT):
  • Email: chairman-cbdt@nic.in
  • Database Cell Email: dbc.cbdt@incometax.gov.in
  • Phone: +91-11-23092244 / 23548993
• AIS/Reporting Portal Helpdesk:
  • Toll-Free: 1800 103 4215 (For queries related to AIS, TIS, and fraudulent transactions).
• e-Filing Web Manager:
  • Email: efilingwebmanager@incometax.gov.in

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3. Web Links for Official Filings (RTI Inquiry on PAN Misuse in Mirzapur)

Use these portals to ensure your submissions are digitally recorded and “paperless” as per the guidelines you mentioned.

• RTI Online Uttar Pradesh:https://rtionline.up.gov.in
  • Note: Use this to file your First Appeal against Registration No. SPMZR/R/2025/60112.
• UP Jansunwai (IGRS) Portal:https://jansunwai.up.nic.in
  • Recommended for lodging a formal complaint against the PIO for providing misleading information.
• Income Tax Grievance (CPGRAMS):https://pgportal.gov.in
  • Select “Department of Revenue” -> “Income Tax” to report the PAN misuse and lack of bank account transparency.

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4. Cyber Crime Escalation (RTI Inquiry on PAN Misuse in Mirzapur)

Since your case involves the IT Act (66C and 66D), you can also report the misuse of your digital identity (PAN) through the national portal:

• National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal: [suspicious link removed]
• Cyber Police Station (UP): sp-cyber.lu@up.gov.in

Note: When sending emails, always CC the Superintendent of Police Mirzapur (spmzr-up@nic.in) and the DGP Uttar Pradesh (dgpcontrol-up@nic.in) to ensure the communication is monitored by higher authorities.

Would you like me to draft a specific “First Appeal” letter for you to upload to the RTI portal today?