Agartala: Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at 13 locations across Tripura, Bengal and Maharashtra in connection with an alleged ₹14.55 crore govt tender fraud involving a fictitious entity named Directorate of Higher Education. Among the premises searched on Nov 4 was the residence of suspended IAS officer Abhishek Chandra.The searches were conducted by ED’s Agartala sub-zonal office under Section 17 of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation. The probe stems from an FIR registered at Capital Complex police station in West Tripura.According to ED, the case originated from a complaint by Nagpur-based M/s SK Sales Corporation, which alleged that it was defrauded of around Rs14.55 crore in connection with govt tenders for the mid-day meal programme and power sector.The alleged fraud took place between Sept 2024 and Feb 2025, when the complainant was induced to deposit earnest money deposits (EMDs) for tenders that, ED’s investigation found, had never been issued by Tripura govt.The probe has indicated that Abhishek Chandra, who is currently under suspension, allegedly presented himself as an authority overseeing govt tender processes. He reportedly introduced the complainant to Utpal Kumar Chowdhury, who was projected as the person responsible for handling payments.Investigators found that the purported govt entity was actually a private business owned by Chowdhury, which allegedly operated under a name closely resembling that of an actual govt department.According to ED, funds deposited into bank accounts of this fictitious entity were quickly routed through multiple shell companies, with several transactions reportedly carried out within a single day.The agency has also traced the suspected proceeds of crime to real estate purchases, including apartments in a housing complex and a residence in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park area.The properties were allegedly purchased in names of Abhishek Chandra’s family members. Investigators also suspect that part of the funds was spent on international travel and luxury goods, while another portion was routed through a suspected hawala operator based in Kolkata.
