The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday, 5 November 2025, conducted search and seizure operations at 13 premises spread across Tripura, West Bengal, and Maharashtra, targeting an alleged fake government tender racket that used a fictitious entity called the 'Directorate of Higher Education' to defraud businesses of crores of rupees. The searches were carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, by the ED's Agartala Sub-Zonal office.

The Alleged Scam: How It Worked

The investigation stems from a first information report (FIR) registered at the Capital Complex Police Station in Agartala, following a complaint by Nagpur-based firm M/s S.K. Sales Corporation. The firm alleged it was fraudulently induced to pay Earnest Money Deposits (EMDs) of approximately ₹14.55 crore between September 2024 and February 2025 against fabricated tenders purportedly issued by the Tripura government in the mid-day meal and power sectors — tenders that, according to investigators, were never actually floated.

According to the ED, Abhishek Chandra, a Tripura cadre IAS officer currently under suspension, allegedly represented himself as the official overseeing tender processes for the state government and introduced the complainant to Utpal Kumar Chowdhury as the person responsible for processing payments. The EMDs were paid through demand drafts made out to the fictitious 'Directorate of Higher Education' — a proprietary concern of Chowdhury bearing a name deceptively similar to a genuine government department.

Forged tender notices and work orders were allegedly used to sustain the deception. A joint venture with one Krishna Chakraborty, represented by her husband Sudip Paul, was reportedly used to structure the collection of funds. Partial refunds were allegedly made at critical junctures to maintain the victim's confidence and induce further payments — a classic long-fraud mechanism.

Money Trail: Shell Entities, Hawala, and Mumbai Properties

The ED said funds deposited into the fictitious entity's accounts were allegedly layered within days — in some instances within 24 hours — through a network of shell entities, several of which are registered in the names of domestic staff and associates of Chowdhury. The proceeds of crime were allegedly used to acquire immovable properties, including flats in a housing project and a residential property in Mumbai's Shivaji Park, registered in the names of family members of Abhishek Chandra, as well as for foreign travel and luxury goods.

Funds were also allegedly routed through a hawala conduit based in Kolkata, investigators said.

Wider Investigation: Over ₹44 Crore Allegedly Defrauded

The ED noted it is already separately investigating Chowdhury and others in connection with five FIRs registered across West Bengal and Tripura, where the same fictitious entity and modus operandi were allegedly used to defraud multiple victims of an aggregate amount exceeding ₹44 crore. In that parallel case, provisional attachment orders were issued on 22 January 2026 and 31 July 2026.

What Was Seized

Search operations covered the residential premises of Abhishek Chandra, premises of alleged hawala operators, and offices of several companies and entities connected to the money trail. During the searches, investigators reportedly found and seized voluminous documentary evidence of hawala transactions, details of several high-value properties, and material indicating suspicious control over corporate entities. Digital devices and records belonging to various accused persons were also seized.

The offences registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 — including criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, cheating, cheating by personation, and forgery — are scheduled offences under the PMLA, triggering ED jurisdiction. Further investigation is underway.