NEW DELHI — The Agartala sub-zonal office of the Enforcement Directorate has provisionally attached bank balances worth approximately Rs 1.12 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The action, taken through a provisional order on July 31, targets assets linked to suspended Tripura-cadre Indian Administrative Service officer Abhishek Chandra, along with key associate Utpal Kumar Chowdhury and a private housing firm. This latest enforcement action brings the total value of attached proceeds in the ongoing financial fraud investigation to nearly Rs 1.63 crore.
The money laundering probe stems from several police cases registered across West Bengal and Tripura alleging cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust, and impersonation. According to investigators, Chowdhury allegedly posed as a senior official from the Ministry of Home Affairs using fabricated identity documents. He established various shell entities using names deliberately chosen to mimic genuine state and central bodies, including the Directorate of Higher Education, Tripura, alongside taking unauthorized control of a registered trust to orchestrate the scheme.
Using these deceptive organizations, the syndicate allegedly defrauded investors and commercial contractors by promising lucrative government tenders, mid-day meal distribution contracts, and profitable ventures within the rubber industry. The agency discovered that funds transferred into these shell accounts were systematically funneled through complex transactions and frequently withdrawn as cash. A portion of these illegal proceeds was routed directly into Chandra’s personal accounts, while additional funds were traced to payments made toward a residential property booking in his name. The Enforcement Directorate confirmed that further investigations into the downstream movement of assets remain active.
