The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has carried out extensive search operations at 13 premises across Tripura, West Bengal and Maharashtra in connection with an alleged ₹14.55 crore fake government tender fraud involving a fictitious entity operating in the name of the ‘Directorate of Higher Education’. The searches, conducted on November 4, also covered the residential premises of suspended IAS officer Abhishek Chandra.
The operation was undertaken by the ED’s Agartala Sub-Zonal Office under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, as part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged money laundering network. The probe stems from an FIR registered at Capital Complex Police Station in West Tripura.
According to the central agency, the case came to light following a complaint by Nagpur-based M/s SK Sales Corporation, which alleged that it had been cheated of approximately ₹14.55 crore in the name of government tenders related to the mid-day meal scheme and power sector. The alleged transactions took place between September 2024 and February 2025, during which the complainant was persuaded to deposit Earnest Money Deposits (EMDs) against tenders that, investigators found, had never been issued by the Tripura Government.
The ED's investigation has allegedly established that Abhishek Chandra, an IAS officer of the Tripura cadre currently under suspension, projected himself as an official exercising control over government tender-related processes. He allegedly introduced the complainant to Utpal Kumar Chowdhury, who was portrayed as the person responsible for processing payments.
The money was deposited through demand drafts in favour of an entity named ‘Directorate of Higher Education’. However, the investigation revealed that the entity was not a government department but a proprietary concern owned by Utpal Kumar Chowdhury, allegedly operating under a name deliberately resembling the actual government department.
Investigators suspect that forged tender notices and work orders were used to lend credibility to the fraudulent transactions. A joint venture involving Krishna Chakraborty, represented by her husband Sudip Paul, was also allegedly brought into the arrangement to facilitate the collection of funds. The agency further claimed that partial refunds were made at strategic intervals to retain the complainant's trust and encourage additional deposits.
The ED stated that money deposited into the bank accounts of the fictitious entity was rapidly moved through multiple shell companies, with several transfers reportedly taking place within 24 hours. A number of these entities were allegedly registered in the names of domestic workers and associates of Utpal Kumar Chowdhury.
The agency has also traced the suspected proceeds of crime to the acquisition of immovable properties, including flats in a housing project and a residential property at Mumbai's Shivaji Park. These properties were allegedly purchased in the names of family members of Abhishek Chandra. Investigators further suspect that part of the money was spent on overseas travel and luxury items, while another portion was channelled through a suspected hawala operator based in Kolkata.
The ED also pointed out that Utpal Kumar Chowdhury and his associates are being investigated in another money laundering case registered under ECIR/AGSZO/03/2025. The case originated from five FIRs lodged in Tripura and West Bengal and allegedly involves the same fictitious entity and a similar modus operandi. In that separate investigation, multiple victims were reportedly defrauded of more than ₹44 crore.
As part of the earlier probe, the agency had issued two Provisional Attachment Orders — No. 01/2026 dated January 22, 2026, and No. 05/2026 dated July 31, 2026.
During the latest search operation, ED teams inspected the residences of Abhishek Chandra and alleged hawala operators, besides the offices of several companies and entities suspected of being linked to the financial transactions.
A substantial volume of documentary evidence was recovered, including records allegedly relating to hawala transactions, details of several high-value properties and materials pointing towards suspicious control of corporate entities. Digital devices and electronic records belonging to various accused persons were also seized, which the agency believes could provide crucial leads in tracing the alleged money trail.
The ED said further investigation into the case is underway.
