ED seizes Rs 67 lakh, uncovers Rs 200-Cr fake rubber trade in Tripura
The Enforcement Directorate seized cash, froze accounts, and exposed the trade linked to Utpal Kumar Chowdhury, involving fraud, fake IDs, and alleged government nexus.
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Agartala, Aug 28: The Enforcement Directorate, Agartala Sub-Zonal Office, has seized Rs 7 lakh in cash and frozen bank accounts with balance of approximately Rs 60 lakh during search operations carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, on Tuesday.
According to officials, the searches were conducted across multiple locations in Tripura, Delhi, Haryana, and West Bengal in connection with an ongoing investigation against one Utpal Kumar Chowdhury, a resident of Tripura.
The probe stems from several FIRs registered by West Bengal Police against Chowdhury, who allegedly created a network of fraudulent entities with names resembling government departments and public sector undertakings (PSUs), such as the Directorate of Higher Education, Tripura, and Bridge and Roof Company. Investigators said he impersonated a senior government officer to lure investors, educational institutions, and individuals by promising government contracts, including midday meal tenders.
The ED press statement noted that Chowdhury had also fraudulently taken over an NGO, Chaltakhali Swamiji Seva Sangha, registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), and used it to launder illicit funds. Preliminary findings indicate that more than Rs 200 crore was routed through the NGO's accounts under the guise of a fake rubber trade.
"The purported rubber business in Tripura was found to be only on paper, with no actual transactions or transportation of goods," the agency said.
Officials further revealed that Chowdhury enjoyed close ties with senior officers of the Tripura Government, who allegedly introduced him to businessmen as a high-ranking official. Through these connections, he is accused of defrauding several people, while some senior officials reportedly received large sums of money due to the nexus.
During the raids, the ED recovered incriminating digital and physical evidence, including forged identity documents, fake stamps of various Tripura Government departments, and bogus IDs of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. The agency also uncovered investments in land and real estate across the State.
Chowdhury is currently lodged in a jail in Haryana. The ED stated that further investigation is under way.