Tripura chit fund scam: CBI arrests absconding accused Sanjit Chakraborty after 13 years
Synopsis
Thirteen years after going underground, Sanjit Chakraborty — Chairman of M/s Cosmic Negociators Pvt. Ltd. and a key accused in two Tripura chit fund scam cases — was tracked down and arrested by the CBI in Kolkata. The cases involve alleged fraud totalling over ₹7.48 crore, part of a massive Ponzi-scheme crisis that the Tripura High Court has ordered authorities to redress.
Key Takeaways
The CBI arrested Sanjit Chakraborty , Chairman and MD of M/s Cosmic Negociators Pvt.
Ltd. , from Kolkata on 12 May 2025 .
Chakraborty had been absconding for 13 years since the registration of an FIR by Tripura Police in 2013 .
He is charge-sheeted in two cases — one for allegedly duping the public of ₹7.48 crore (charge sheet filed 2015 ) and another for ₹27.13 lakh (charge sheet filed 2024 ).
Arrest followed technical and physical surveillance; Chakraborty will be brought to Tripura after a transit warrant is secured from a Kolkata court.
The Tripura High Court in 2024 ordered a scheme to return money to victims of chit fund fraud in the state.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Sanjit Chakraborty, a proclaimed offender and the Chairman and Managing Director of M/s Cosmic Negociators Pvt. Ltd., from Kolkata on 12 May 2025, ending a 13-year evasion linked to two Tripura chit fund scam cases. Chakraborty had been absconding since the registration of an FIR by Tripura Police in 2013 and was listed as an absconding accused in both charge sheets filed against him.
Background of the Cases
The CBI took over the chit fund cases following notifications issued by both the Tripura and Central governments under the Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act, 1946. In the first case, a charge sheet was filed in 2015 against Chakraborty and others for allegedly duping the public of approximately ₹7.48 crore. A second charge sheet, filed in 2024, accused him and others of defrauding the public of approximately ₹27.13 lakh. In both instances, Chakraborty was listed as an absconding accused.
How the Arrest Was Made
According to the CBI, the arrest followed sustained efforts involving field verification, technical surveillance, physical surveillance, and intelligence analysis. Investigators tracked Chakraborty to his location in Kolkata, West Bengal, where he was apprehended on 12 May 2025. The arrested accused will be produced before the competent court in Tripura after a transit warrant is secured from the jurisdictional court in Kolkata. Further investigation is underway, officials said.
Wider Crackdown on Tripura Chit Fund Scams
This arrest is part of a broader, multi-state enforcement drive by the CBI. The agency has previously arrested several individuals from Assam, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra in connection with the Tripura chit fund scam cases. The scams have deeply affected the Northeastern state, where multiple illegal chit fund companies operating under various Ponzi scheme structures allegedly collected thousands of crores of rupees, defrauding thousands of ordinary depositors.
Court Orders and Victim Relief
The Tripura High Court in 2024 ordered the formulation of a scheme to return money to customers cheated by chit fund companies — a directive that underscores the scale of the financial harm inflicted on victims. The court's intervention reflects growing judicial pressure on authorities to move beyond arrests and ensure actual restitution for those defrauded. The case remains one of the most significant financial fraud investigations in the region's recent history.
Point of View
The resources, and the multi-state reach — yet a proclaimed offender linked to a case registered in 2013 was only apprehended in 2025. The Tripura chit fund scams are not a niche enforcement matter; they represent a systemic failure that stripped thousands of ordinary depositors of their savings. The Tripura High Court's 2024 directive on victim restitution signals that the judiciary has lost patience with the pace of recovery. Arrests are necessary, but without a credible, time-bound mechanism to return money to victims, the enforcement optics risk outrunning the actual justice delivered.
NationPress
10 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Sanjit Chakraborty and why was he arrested?
Sanjit Chakraborty is the Chairman and Managing Director of M/s Cosmic Negociators Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata, and a key accused in two Tripura chit fund scam cases. He was arrested by the CBI on 12 May 2025 after evading arrest for 13 years since an FIR was registered against him by Tripura Police in 2013.
What are the charges against Sanjit Chakraborty in the Tripura chit fund cases?
Chakraborty is charge-sheeted in two cases: the first, filed in 2015, accuses him and others of duping the public of approximately ₹7.48 crore; the second, filed in 2024, involves alleged fraud of approximately ₹27.13 lakh. He was listed as an absconding accused in both charge sheets.
How did the CBI locate and arrest Chakraborty after 13 years?
The CBI used a combination of field verification, technical surveillance, physical surveillance, and intelligence analysis to track Chakraborty to Kolkata, West Bengal, where he was arrested on 12 May 2025. He will be brought to Tripura after a transit warrant is obtained from the jurisdictional court in Kolkata.
What is the Tripura chit fund scam?
The Tripura chit fund scam refers to a series of frauds in which multiple illegal chit fund companies operating Ponzi schemes allegedly collected thousands of crores of rupees from ordinary depositors across the Northeastern state, defrauding thousands of people. The CBI took over the cases under the DSPE Act, 1946, and has since made arrests across several states including Assam, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra.
What has the Tripura High Court ordered regarding victims of the chit fund scam?
The Tripura High Court in 2024 ordered the formulation of a scheme to return money to customers cheated by chit fund companies in the state, reflecting judicial pressure on authorities to ensure restitution for victims beyond just making arrests.
