GUWAHATI | The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted search and seizure operations at 13 locations across Tripura, West Bengal and Maharashtra in connection with an alleged fake government tender racket involving approximately Rs 14.55 crore.

The searches were carried out on November 4 by the ED’s Agartala Sub-Zonal Office under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. According to the agency, the alleged fraud involved a fictitious entity named ‘Directorate of Higher Education’, which was used to issue fake government tender notices in Tripura’s mid-day meal and power sectors.

The money-laundering investigation stems from an FIR registered at Capital Complex Police Station in West Tripura following a complaint by Nagpur-based M/s SK Sales Corporation against Abhishek Chandra, an IAS officer of the Tripura cadre, and his alleged associates.

The ED said the complainant was induced to deposit Earnest Money Deposits (EMDs) totalling approximately Rs 14.55 crore between September 2024 and February 2025 against government tenders that had never actually been floated.

The FIR invokes several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, relating to criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, cheating, impersonation and forgery. Since the alleged offences fall under the scheduled offences of the PMLA, the ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) and initiated a money-laundering probe.

Fake department allegedly used to collect tender deposits

According to the ED’s findings, Chandra, who is currently under suspension, allegedly presented himself as an official overseeing government tender processes in Tripura and introduced the complainant to Utpal Kumar Chowdhury, claiming that the latter was responsible for processing payments.

The EMDs were deposited through demand drafts in favour of an entity named ‘Directorate of Higher Education’. However, investigators found that it was a proprietary concern belonging to Chowdhury and had a name deceptively similar to that of the genuine government department.

The agency suspects that forged tender notices and work orders were used to persuade the company to make the payments. A joint venture involving Krishna Chakraborty, represented by her husband Sudip Paul, was allegedly used to facilitate the collection of funds.

The ED further alleged that partial refunds were made at crucial stages to maintain the complainant’s confidence and encourage further payments. Funds allegedly routed through shell companies and hawala channels The investigation reportedly found that money deposited into the fictitious entity’s accounts was transferred through a network of shell entities within a short period, sometimes within 24 hours.

Several of these entities were allegedly registered in the names of domestic workers and associates of Chowdhury, according to the agency. The suspected proceeds of crime were allegedly used to purchase immovable properties, including flats in a housing project and a residential property in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park area. The properties were reportedly acquired in the names of Chandra’s family members.

Investigators also suspect that part of the money was spent on foreign travel and luxury goods, while certain transactions were routed through a hawala operator based in Kolkata.

Separate probe involving alleged fraud of over Rs 44 crore

The ED said it was already investigating Chowdhury and others in a separate money-laundering case, ECIR/AGSZO/03/2025, arising from five FIRs registered in West Bengal and Tripura. In that case, the agency alleged that the same fictitious entity and a similar modus operandi had been used to defraud multiple victims of more than Rs 44 crore.

The agency has issued two provisional attachment orders in connection with the separate investigation – Order No. 01/2026 dated January 22, 2026, and Order No. 05/2026 dated July 31, 2026. The latest searches covered the residential premises of Chandra and suspected hawala operators, along with offices of companies and entities allegedly linked to the money trail.

During the operations, officials seized documents relating to suspected hawala transactions, high-value properties and alleged control over corporate entities. Digital devices and other records belonging to various accused persons were also seized.

The ED said further investigation is underway to trace the suspected proceeds of crime and establish the role of those allegedly involved in the racket.