The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has filed a prosecution complaint under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) before the Special PMLA Court in Guwahati in connection with an alleged bank fraud and money laundering case involving ₹7.28 crore at the Assam Gramin Vikash Bank. The complaint, filed on Tuesday, 19 May, names Dibyajyoti Kalita, the then Branch Head of the bank's Lahorijan branch in Karbi Anglong district, and Birbahu Brahma, a resident of Goalpara district, as the accused.

How the Alleged Fraud Was Carried Out

According to the ED's investigation, between December 2020 and April 2021, Kalita allegedly misappropriated ₹7.28 crore from the Adjustment Clearing Account of the Lahorijan branch through 20 unauthorised transactions. Officials alleged that these transactions were executed using Finacle banking software credentials, without supporting vouchers or customer instructions — a method designed to evade routine audit trails.

The probe further revealed that the alleged proceeds of crime were layered through fictitious customer accounts, multiple self-help group and society accounts, as well as fabricated term deposits and loans against deposits — a multi-stage laundering structure that investigators say was designed to obscure the money trail.

Where the Money Allegedly Went

The ED claimed the funds were subsequently routed into the personal account of the principal accused, the account of Kalita's wife, a tea-business partnership concern, and several surrogate accounts operated in the names of relatives and associates of the second accused, Brahma. The use of a commercial enterprise — a tea business — as a layering vehicle is notable given Assam's dominant tea economy, which investigators say makes such structures harder to flag at first glance.

Searches, Seizures and Evidence

Searches conducted in November 2024 at the residences of the accused led to the seizure of incriminating documents, handwritten notebooks detailing investments, property papers, cheque books belonging to third parties, and a RuPay debit card allegedly linked to the principal accused. These physical records are expected to form a key part of the prosecution's evidence before the Special Court.

CBI Involvement and Legal Provisions

The ED's action follows a sequence of earlier proceedings. The case was originally registered at Khatkhati Police Station in Karbi Anglong under Sections 420 and 409 of the Indian Penal Code. It was subsequently re-registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Anti-Corruption Branch, Shillong. The CBI filed a chargesheet on 29 April 2024, invoking Section 120-B of the IPC and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. The ED's current prosecution complaint invokes Sections 44(1)(b) and 45(1) of the PMLA, 2002. Further investigation in the case is underway, officials said.