New Delhi/Agartala, November 5, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted search and seizure operations at 13 premises across Tripura, West Bengal and Maharashtra in connection with an alleged fake government tender racket operated through a fictitious entity named the ‘Directorate of Higher Education’.
The searches were carried out by the ED’s Agartala Sub-Zonal Office on Wednesday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, as part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged fraud involving purported government tenders in Tripura.
According to the agency, the investigation originated from an FIR registered at Capital Complex Police Station in Agartala on a complaint by Nagpur-based M/s S.K. Sales Corporation. The firm alleged that it was fraudulently induced to pay earnest money deposits (EMDs) of around Rs 14.55 crore between September 2024 and February 2025 against tenders in the mid-day meal and power sectors that were never floated.
The complaint named Abhishek Chandra, a Tripura-cadre IAS officer, and other alleged co-conspirators. The ED said Chandra, who is presently under suspension, allegedly represented himself as an officer controlling the state’s tender processes and introduced the complainant to Utpal Kumar Chowdhury, who was presented as the official responsible for processing payments.
Investigators found that the EMDs were paid through demand drafts in favour of the ‘Directorate of Higher Education’. However, the entity was allegedly a proprietary concern of Chowdhury, using a name deceptively similar to that of the genuine government department. Forged tender notices and work orders were allegedly used to facilitate the fraud.
The ED said a joint venture involving Krishna Chakraborty, represented by her husband Sudip Paul, was used to structure the collection of funds. Partial refunds were allegedly made at crucial stages to maintain the victim’s confidence and induce further payments.
According to the agency, funds deposited into the fictitious entity’s accounts were allegedly transferred within days, sometimes within 24 hours, through a network of shell entities. Several of these entities were reportedly registered in the names of domestic staff and associates of Chowdhury.
The alleged proceeds of crime were used to acquire immovable properties, including flats in a housing project and a residential property in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park in the names of family members of Abhishek Chandra. The funds were also allegedly spent on foreign travel and luxury goods, while some money was routed through a suspected hawala conduit based in Kolkata.
The ED is also investigating Chowdhury and others in connection with five FIRs registered in West Bengal and Tripura, involving the same fictitious entity and alleged modus operandi. The agency said multiple victims were cheated of more than Rs 44 crore in those cases. Provisional attachment orders were issued on January 22 and July 31, 2026.
During the latest searches, the agency examined residential premises linked to Chandra and alleged hawala operators, along with offices of companies and entities connected to the suspected money trail. It seized extensive documentary evidence relating to hawala transactions, details of high-value properties, digital devices and records indicating suspected control over corporate entities.
Further investigation is underway.
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