Aligarh, Mar 26 (PTI) A middle-aged juice seller, who runs a small kiosk at the district court compound here, was left in shock after allegedly receiving an income tax notice seeking an outstanding payment of Rs 7.79 crore.

Mohammed Rahees, a resident of working-class locality Sarai Rehman, was dumbfounded when he received the notice on March 18.

Unsure of how to respond, he immediately sought help from friends to understand the contents of the official letter, which directed him to reply by March 28.

Speaking to the media, Rahees said, "I was advised to consult an income tax lawyer, who told me to gather my bank account records before he could draft a response." Rahees, who earns barely Rs 400 a day, supports his entire family, including his elderly and ailing parents. The unexpected notice has left him deeply distressed, he claimed.

"The shock of this notice has triggered severe anxiety, and my blood pressure has shot up. I don't know how to deal with this crisis," he said.

He also mentioned that his mother, who suffers from depression, has been further affected by the fear and uncertainty surrounding the situation. PTI COR KIS SKY SKY

Income tax notice prompts small vendor to respond and produce bank records under threat of an outstanding tax demand. A small kiosk operator received an income tax notice alleging an outstanding tax demand of Rs 7.79 crore and was directed to reply by March 28; following legal advice he was told to gather his bank account records so a formal response could be drafted.