Agartala, 2nd August 2026: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken a major step in the sensational ₹14.55 crore fake tender and financial fraud case in Tripura. As part of its investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the central agency has provisionally attached assets and cash worth ₹1.63 crore belonging to suspended IAS officer Abhishek Chandra, prime accused Utpal Kumar Chowdhury, and their associates. The attached assets include bank deposits of approximately ₹1.12 crore.
According to the investigation, the accused allegedly forged documents related to several lucrative government projects, including those under the Higher Education Department, Power Sector, and the Mid-Day Meal Scheme. Using these fabricated tender documents, they allegedly lured a Nagpur-based company, SK Sales Corporation, into believing it had secured government contracts. Under the pretext of Earnest Money Deposits (EMD) and other processing charges, the accused allegedly siphoned off ₹14,55,42,945 from the company in multiple transactions.
Investigators revealed that the mastermind, Utpal Kumar Chowdhury, posed as a senior official of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. He and his associates allegedly used forged identity cards, fake government seals, and fabricated documents purportedly issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Government of Tripura to gain the trust of business entities. The fraud came to light when the Nagpur-based businessman visited Tripura’s Higher Education Department and discovered that no such government tender had ever been issued.
The ED’s probe has further uncovered that the proceeds of crime were routed through multiple shell companies to disguise the source of the illegally acquired funds. The agency alleges that a portion of the laundered money was directly transferred into the personal bank account of IAS officer Abhishek Chandra. Investigators also found that the illicit funds were indirectly used to book a residential flat in his name through a real estate company.
Based on the complaint lodged by the defrauded businessman, an FIR was registered at New Capital Complex Police Station, Agartala, on July 1, 2026, against Abhishek Chandra, Utpal Kumar Chowdhury, Krishna Chakraborty, and Sudip Paul on charges of cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy. Following the registration of the case, both the Tripura Police and the Enforcement Directorate launched parallel investigations, with the ED focusing on the money laundering aspect.
The ED initiated its investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, based on multiple FIRs registered by the police in Tripura and West Bengal. The probe has established alleged links between the prime accused, Utpal Kumar Chowdhury and his associates, and suspended IAS officer Abhishek Chandra. Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine whether other influential individuals were involved in the multi-crore scam involving fake government tenders, Mid-Day Meal supply contracts, and fraudulent rubber business deals.
