New Delhi, Aug 12 (NationPress) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken into custody one of the Directors of a chit fund company based in Kolkata, West Bengal, following the issuance of a Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) last month by the Special Judge (CBI) in the Tripura chit fund investigation, as announced by the agency on Tuesday.

The CBI apprehended Partha Samaddar, a Director of the implicated chit fund firm M/s Himangini Infracon India Ltd, located in Kolkata, against whom an NBW was issued by the Special Judge (CBI), West Tripura, Agartala on July 22 (2025) in connection with the Tripura chit fund case.

The accused had been failing to appear in the trial court during the proceedings, according to a CBI statement. The central investigative agency initiated this case on March 14, 2023. The accused was among the directors of the chit fund firm that deceived individuals of approximately Rs 25 lakh in public funds, involving charges of cheating, criminal breach of trust, and fraudulent default in repayment of deposits at maturity.

Subsequent to the investigation, a charge sheet was submitted by the CBI on September 28, 2024, against the accused. He has since been presented before the Magistrate Court, Kolkata, where a transit remand for three days was granted to facilitate his appearance before the Special Judge (CBI) in West Tripura, Agartala, as the trial progresses.

Additionally, on February 7 this year, the CBI arrested three individuals who were evading justice from Hyderabad, Hojai (Assam), and Vellore (Tamil Nadu) tied to the Tripura chit-fund fraud.

The CBI confirmed the arrests of Minnatullah Barbhuiya in Hyderabad, Kamrul Islam Barbhuiya from Hojai, and Imdadullah Barbhuiya in Vellore. All three are residents of Assam’s Hailakandi district. Minnatullah and Kamrul Islam serve as Directors of Kama (Indian) Projects and Services Ltd.

The CBI had re-registered this case following notifications from the Tripura government and the government of India, taking over three separate cases filed in West Agartala, Kumarghat, and Teliamura police stations in September 2014, March 2013, and August 2012, respectively.

Sources indicate that the central agency took over the cases from Tripura Police to probe allegations of substantial funds collected from the public, promising lucrative returns without authority from SEBI, RBI, and other regulatory bodies, thereby misappropriating the entire amount by the management of M/s Kama (India) Projects and Services Ltd.

The investigation disclosed that the primary accused—Minnatullah, Kamrul Islam, and Imdadullah—were co-conspirators in the misappropriation of public funds and had not engaged with the investigation, remaining at large from their last known locations for an extended period.

This led to the issuance of NBWs by a Special CBI Court in Agartala to capture and ensure their cooperation in the investigation.

On February 3, the CBI arrested another suspect, Bikash Das, a resident of Assam's Hailakandi district, in Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, concerning the Tripura chit fund fraud.

Das was wanted in two FIRs by the CBI related to the alleged chit fund scams, as referred by the Tripura government. A Special CBI Judge in Agartala had previously declared him a proclaimed offender, having been absconding since 2013, and issued a standing warrant against him on August 16, 2024. The CBI also offered a cash reward of Rs 20,000 for information leading to his capture.

The chit fund scandals in Tripura have plagued the northeastern state for years, with numerous illicit chit fund firms employing various dubious Ponzi schemes to collect vast sums, defrauding countless individuals. Last year, the Tripura High Court mandated a scheme to reimburse customers defrauded by these chit fund companies.