Agartala: A serving Tripura cadre IAS officer has been booked along with three others in connection with an alleged ₹14.55 crore tender fraud, after a Nagpur-based company accused them of luring the firm into depositing crores of rupees on the pretext of securing government contracts using forged work orders.
The case, registered at the New Capital Complex Police Station in Agartala on July 1, names Abhishek Chandra, a 2003-batch IAS officer currently serving as Special Secretary in the Planning (Statistics) Department, along with Krishna Chakraborty, Utpal Kumar Chowdhury, and other unidentified persons.
Police have initiated an investigation under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy, and the use of forged documents.
Nagpur-Based Firm Alleges Multi-Crore Cheating
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the complaint was filed by Manish Malani, representing SK Sales Corporation, a Nagpur-based firm.
Malani alleged that in February 2024, IAS officer Abhishek Chandra introduced himself as a senior government official responsible for handling and approving tenders across various departments of the Tripura Government, including the Directorate of Higher Education.
The complainant alleged that Chandra informed them about lucrative business opportunities involving government procurement in the power sector and Mid-Day Meal Scheme, claiming he had the authority to facilitate the award of such tenders.
Meeting in New Delhi and Formation of Joint Venture
According to the complaint, representatives of SK Sales Corporation were invited to New Delhi in August 2024, where they were allegedly shown official-looking tender documents relating to government contracts in Tripura.
The FIR states that Chandra advised the company to form a Joint Venture (JV) with Krishna Chakraborty, who was represented by her husband Sudip Paul.
Acting on the proposal, the company executed a Joint Venture Agreement on September 4, 2024.
On the same day, the firm allegedly deposited an Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) of ₹1,94,05,726. A few weeks later, on September 19, 2024, it allegedly received a work order valued at ₹2.56 crore.
Payments Rose to ₹14.55 Crore
The complainant alleged that further EMD payments were made between September 2024 and February 2025, ultimately taking the total amount paid to ₹14,55,42,945.
The FIR also states that between October 2024 and March 2025, the complainant received several RTGS transfers from Krishna Chakraborty’s bank account, purportedly towards profit sharing and refund payments.
These transactions allegedly strengthened the firm’s confidence that the contracts were genuine.
Forgery Allegedly Exposed During Tripura Visit
According to the complaint, doubts arose when representatives of the company visited Tripura in April 2025 to review the progress of the projects.
During the visit, they allegedly discovered that the Directorate of Higher Education had never floated any such tenders, nor had it issued the work orders presented to them.
The complainant alleged that all the tender documents and work orders supplied to the company were fabricated.
Another Accused Already in Jail
The FIR further states that Utpal Kumar Chowdhury, who had allegedly been introduced as the official responsible for processing payments under the contracts, was later found to have been arrested by the West Bengal Police in another case.
According to the complaint, Chowdhury is presently lodged in a jail in Haryana.
Police Register FIR Under Multiple BNS Sections
Based on the complaint, the Agartala Police have registered a case under Sections 61(2), 204, 316, 318, 319, 336, 338, 340 and 341 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The investigation has been entrusted to Sub-Inspector Rahul Das, who has been directed to examine the allegations, verify the authenticity of the documents, trace the financial transactions, and determine the role of each accused.
Investigation Underway
With allegations involving a serving IAS officer, forged government documents and financial transactions exceeding ₹14.55 crore, the case is expected to draw significant attention. Investigators are likely to scrutinize the alleged tender process, banking transactions, and the authenticity of the work orders as part of the ongoing probe.
The police have not yet announced any arrests in connection with the case, and further investigation is underway.
About Abhishek Chandra
Mr Chandra is a 2003-batch IAS officer of the Tripura Cadre. Originally from Maharashtra, he holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering and an MBA. Over a public service career spanning more than two decades, he has held nine major administrative and corporate postings.
These include a five-year tenure as Director in the Union Ministry of Shipping, Managing Director of the Tripura Industrial Development Corporation, and Chief Executive Officer of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council. He also served across various state portfolios, including Power, Transport, Rural Development, and Land Records, before being appointed as the Special Secretary for Planning (Statistics) for the Government of Tripura.
However, Chandra’s career has recently shifted into severe legal and administrative turmoil, leading to his official suspension from service with headquarters in Agartala. In August 2025, the Tripura Government stripped him of his secretariat portfolios and placed him on “compulsory waiting.” His situation escalated dramatically in July 2026 when a major First Information Report (FIR) was registered against him at the New Capital Complex Police Station in Agartala.
A Nagpur-based firm accused him and three associates of a ₹14.55 crore financial fraud involving forged government tender documents and fake higher education work orders. This sits alongside older, high-profile legal scrutiny—including cases in the Gauhati High Court and inquiries by the CBI—regarding the verification of his community certificates under his alternative legal identity, Sachin Pramod Besarya.
