Nagpur: A complaint lodged by a Nagpur-based business firm alleging a Rs 15-crore fraud through fake government tenders in Tripura has triggered a major Enforcement Directorate (ED) crackdown across three states, bringing a suspended IAS officer, fabricated government identities, forged tender documents and a network of suspected shell companies under the agency’s scanner.
The ED carried out simultaneous searches at 13 locations across Tripura, West Bengal and Maharashtra on November 4 as part of its money-laundering investigation into the alleged racket. The operation targeted residential premises linked to the bureaucrat, suspected hawala operators and offices of companies allegedly connected with the movement and concealment of the proceeds of crime.
The investigation originated from a complaint filed by the Nagpur firm with Tripura Police, alleging that it was duped of Rs 15 crore between September 2024 and February 2025. The money was allegedly extracted in the form of Earnest Money Deposits (EMDs) against purported government tenders for midday meal programmes and power-sector projects.
However, investigators subsequently found that the tenders were not issued by the Tripura Government, raising serious questions about the authenticity of the documents and the identities of those claiming to represent the administration.
The police complaint reportedly named an IAS officer belonging to the Tripura cadre and his alleged associates. Following the complaint, the ED’s Agartala Sub-Zonal Office registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) and initiated proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
According to the ED investigation, the suspended IAS officer allegedly presented himself as a bureaucrat exercising authority over government tender procedures and used this purported official position to establish credibility with prospective bidders.
The officer allegedly introduced the complainant to Utpal Kumar Chowdhury, who was projected as the official responsible for processing payments connected with the tendering exercise.
Investigators suspect that the entire arrangement was designed to create an impression of a legitimate government procurement process, with official-sounding designations, forged tender notices and fabricated work orders being allegedly deployed to convince the business firm to part with substantial sums.
Private proprietorship masqueraded as Government Department
One of the significant findings concerns the entity named ‘Directorate of Higher Education’, in whose favour demand drafts were allegedly drawn by the complainant.
The ED reportedly found that the entity was not an authentic government department but a private proprietorship belonging to Chowdhury. Its name allegedly bore a misleading resemblance to the actual government department, creating the impression that payments were being deposited into an official account.
Investigators suspect that this deliberate similarity in nomenclature was central to the alleged deception, allowing the accused to exploit the credibility associated with government institutions while diverting money into privately controlled channels.
The probe has also brought a joint venture involving Krishna Chakraborty, represented by her husband Sudip Paul, under scrutiny for its alleged role in facilitating the collection of funds.
ED investigators reportedly found that partial refunds were made to the complainant at strategically important stages. These repayments allegedly served as a confidence-building mechanism, reinforcing the impression that the tender process was genuine and encouraging the victim to make additional deposits.
The agency suspects that the amounts collected were subsequently transferred through multiple shell companies in an attempt to obscure their origin and ownership. Some of these corporate entities were allegedly registered in the names of domestic workers and associates, raising suspicions that nominal owners were used to conceal the identities of the actual beneficiaries.
Mumbai property, foreign trips and luxury purchases under scanner
The alleged diversion of funds into personal assets has emerged as another major focus of the investigation.
According to the ED, the proceeds of the suspected fraud were allegedly utilised to acquire immovable properties, including flats and a residential property in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park area. These assets were reportedly purchased in the names of family members of the IAS officer, allegedly to conceal the ownership and source of the money.
The agency is also examining suspected expenditure on foreign travel and luxury purchases, seeking to establish the extent to which the alleged proceeds were converted into personal wealth.
During the November 4 searches, ED officials seized documents relating to suspected hawala transactions, property records, digital devices and material indicating potentially suspicious control over corporate entities. The seized material is expected to provide further leads regarding the movement of funds, the identities of beneficiaries and the alleged financial architecture of the racket.
The ED has further indicated that Chowdhury and certain other individuals are already under investigation in a separate case involving five FIRs registered in West Bengal and Tripura.
The alleged racket in that case reportedly cheated multiple victims of more than Rs 44 crore through a similar modus operandi involving purported government tenders and deceptive financial arrangements.
The latest searches have therefore widened the scrutiny surrounding an alleged organised network that investigators suspect may have exploited the credibility of government procurement processes to extract crores from unsuspecting businesses.
The ED is now examining the seized documents and financial records to trace the alleged proceeds of crime, identify the ultimate beneficiaries and establish the roles played by the suspected participants.
The investigation is continuing.
