Gwalior/Bhind: What began as a modest life for a roadside eatery worker has turned into a legal nightmare for Ravindra Singh Chauhan, a cook earning just ₹10,000 a month. Chauhan recently discovered that a bank account opened in his name had been used for transactions worth over ₹40 crore, landing him in trouble with the Income Tax Department.
How it started
Chauhan, a native of Bhind now working at a dhaba in Gwalior, said the ordeal began in 2019 when a former toll plaza supervisor, Shashi Bhushan Rai, took him to Delhi. Rai allegedly used Chauhan’s PAN and Aadhaar to open a bank account, claiming his provident fund would be deposited there. Chauhan forgot about the account and moved on with his life.
The shocker from the IT Department
In April 2025, an Income Tax notice arrived at Chauhan’s family home in Bhind. Initially, the family could not understand the English document. A second notice in July alerted them, after which Chauhan rushed home from Pune and consulted a lawyer.
Lawyer Pradyumn Singh informed him that through a firm called Shaurya International Traders, floated in Chauhan’s name, ₹40.18 crore worth of transactions were made until 2023. While the transactions have now ceased, ₹12.5 lakh still lies in the account.
“When I heard this, the ground slipped from beneath my feet,” Chauhan said.
Alleged money laundering, no police action
Singh alleged that the account was misused for laundering black money into white. Despite Chauhan’s repeated pleas, police refused to register an FIR, advising him to approach the Delhi branch where the account was opened.
With no relief, Chauhan has now approached the Madhya Pradesh High Court seeking justice.
Voices from the case
- Ravindra Singh Chauhan, cook:
“I went to the police but they refused to lodge an FIR. I complained everywhere but no one helped. Now my only option is to fight this in the court.” - Pradyumn Singh, lawyer:
“The account was misused to float a company and launder crores. Ravindra, a poor cook, has been dragged into this without his knowledge.”