ED conducts searches in Tripura, Bengal and Maharashtra over Rs 14.55 crore tender fraud

The Enforcement Directorate ED on Wednesday 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 EducationThe central probe agency said on Thursday that the searches were carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act PMLA 2002 targeting individuals and entities allegedly linked to the racketThe searches were conducted by the EDs Agartala SubZonal Office in connection with an ongoing moneylaundering investigation arising from an FIR registered at the Capital Complex Police Station in Agartala the agency said in a statement IANS reportedThe FIR was registered following a complaint by Nagpurbased Ms S K Sales Corporation against Abhishek Chandra a Tripuracadre IAS officer and his alleged coconspiratorsThe complainant alleged that the firm was fraudulently induced to pay earnest money deposits EMDs amounting to around Rs 1455 crore between September 2024 and February 2025 against purported Tripura government tenders in the midday meal and power sectors which were never floatedED probes alleged Rs 1455 crore fake tender racketThe offences registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 relating to criminal conspiracy criminal breach of trust cheating cheating by personation and forgery are scheduled offences under the PMLA 2002 IANS reportedThe ED subsequently recorded an Enforcement Case Information Report ECIR and initiated an investigation under the PMLAAccording to the investigation Abhishek Chandra who is presently under suspension allegedly represented himself as the officer controlling tender processes in the Tripura governmentHe introduced the complainant to Utpal Kumar Chowdhury whom he allegedly presented as the official responsible for processing paymentsThe EMDs were paid through demand drafts in favour of the Directorate of Higher Education However the entity was allegedly a proprietary concern of Utpal Kumar Chowdhury operating under a name deceptively similar to that of the genuine government department IANS reportedForged tender documents shell entities allegedly usedThe EDs investigation revealed that forged tender notices and work orders were allegedly used to induce payments A joint venture involving Krishna Chakraborty represented by her husband Sudip Paul was also allegedly used to structure the collection of fundsThe agency said partial refunds were made at crucial stages to maintain the complainants confidence and induce further paymentsFunds credited to the fictitious entitys accounts were allegedly layered within days and in some cases within 24 hours through a network of shell entities Several of these entities were registered in the names of domestic staff and associates of Utpal Kumar Chowdhury the ED saidProceeds allegedly used to buy properties in MumbaiThe proceeds of crime were allegedly used to acquire immovable properties including flats in a housing project and a residential property in Mumbais Shivaji Park in the names of family members of Abhishek Chandra The funds were also allegedly spent on foreign travel and luxury goods IANS reportedThe agency further alleged that funds were routed through a hawala conduit based in KolkataED links case to alleged fraud exceeding Rs 44 croreThe ED is also investigating Utpal Kumar Chowdhury and others in connection with five FIRs registered in West Bengal and Tripura According to the agency the same fictitious entity and modus operandi were allegedly used to defraud multiple victims of more than Rs 44 croreIn that case provisional attachment orders were issued on January 22 2026 and July 31 2026The latest searches covered the residential premises of Abhishek Chandra and alleged hawala operators as well as the offices of companies and entities connected to the money trailDuring the searches the ED seized extensive documentary evidence of alleged hawala transactions details of several highvalue properties and records indicating suspicious control over corporate entities Digital devices and records belonging to various accused persons which the agency said were crucial to the investigation were also seizedFurther investigation is underwayWith IANS inputs