BREAKING: ED Raids 13 Premises Across 3 States in Rs 14.55 Crore ‘Fake Tender’ Racket; Suspended IAS Officer, Hawala Operators Under Scanner

(Judicial Quest News Network)

Agartala / Mumbai / Kolkata, November 5, 2026 — In a sweeping crackdown on an alleged fake Government tender racket, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Agartala Sub-Zonal Office, conducted coordinated search and seizure operations on November 4, 2026 at 13 premises across Tripura, West Bengal and Maharashtra. The action was carried out under Section 17 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with an alleged conspiracy to defraud a Nagpur-based firm of approximately Rs 14.55 crore through fictitious Government tenders.

The searches covered the residential premises of Abhishek Chandra, IAS (Tripura Cadre), presently under suspension, along with premises linked to alleged hawala operators, and the offices of several companies and entities connected to the alleged money trail.

The Alleged Racket: A ‘Directorate’ That Never Existed

The ED’s money-laundering investigation stems from an FIR registered at the Capital Complex Police Station, West Tripura, on the complaint of M/s SK Sales Corporation, Nagpur.

The complaint alleges that the firm was fraudulently induced to pay Earnest Money Deposits (EMDs) of approximately Rs 14.55 crore between September 2024 and February 2025 against purported Government of Tripura tenders in the mid-day meal and power sectors tenders which were never actually floated.

According to the ED, the accused persons allegedly operated through a fictitious entity styled as the ‘Directorate of Higher Education’a name deceptively similar to a genuine Government department. The EMDs were paid through demand drafts drawn in favour of this entity, which was in fact a proprietary concern of Utpal Kumar Chowdhury.

The Alleged Role of the IAS Officer

Investigation has revealed that Abhishek Chandra, IAS, allegedly represented himself as the officer controlling tender processes in the Government of Tripura. He is alleged to have introduced the complainant firm to Utpal Kumar Chowdhury, projecting him as the official responsible for processing payments.

The ED has alleged that forged tender notices and work orders were used to lend credibility to the scheme. A joint venture involving Smt. Krishna Chakraborty, represented by her husband Sudip Paul, was allegedly used as a conduit to structure and collect the fraudulently obtained funds.

To sustain the victim’s confidence and induce further payments, partial ‘refunds’ were allegedly made at critical junctures creating an illusion of legitimacy around the fictitious tender process.

Layering of Proceeds: Shell Entities, Hawala and Luxury Assets

The ED has alleged that funds credited into the accounts of the fictitious entity were rapidly layered within days, and in some instances within 24 hours through a network of shell entities. Several of these entities are alleged to be registered in the names of domestic staff and associates of Utpal Kumar Chowdhury.

The proceeds of crime were allegedly utilised for the acquisition of immovable properties, including:

• Flats in a housing project
• A residential property at Shivaji Park, Mumbai, allegedly in the names of family members of Abhishek Chandra

Funds were also allegedly routed through an alleged hawala conduit based in Kolkata, and utilised for foreign travel and the purchase of luxury goods.

The Legal Framework: From Scheduled Offences to PMLA

The FIR registers offences under Sections 61(2), 316, 318(4), 319(2), 336(3), 338, 340(2) and 341(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, relating to:

• Criminal conspiracy
• Criminal breach of trust
• Cheating
• Cheating by personation
• Forgery

These offences are scheduled offences under the PMLA, 2002. Accordingly, the ED recorded an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) and initiated investigation under the PMLA to trace, identify, and attach the proceeds of crime.

A Larger Pattern: Rs 44 Crore and Five FIRs

The current investigation is not an isolated action. The ED is already investigating Utpal Kumar Chowdhury and others under ECIR/AGSZO/03/2025, arising out of five FIRs registered in West Bengal and Tripura.

In those cases, the same fictitious entity and an identical modus operandi were allegedly used to defraud multiple victims of an aggregate amount exceeding Rs 44 crore. The ED has already issued:

• Provisional Attachment Order No. 01/2026, dated January 22, 2026
• Provisional Attachment Order No. 05/2026, dated July 31, 2026

Seizures and the Road Ahead

During the search operations, the ED seized voluminous documentary evidence purportedly relating to hawala transactions, high-value property holdings, and materials indicating suspicious control over corporate entities. Digital devices and records belonging to various accused persons considered crucial to the ongoing investigation were also seized.

The ED has stated that further investigation is under progress. With the alleged trail stretching from forged Government tenders in Tripura to shell entities, hawala channels in Kolkata, and premium real estate in Mumbai, the case is poised to test the full force of the PMLA’s attachment, adjudication, and confiscation machinery.