Agartala: An Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, Gaurav Ravindra Wagh, has gone missing from a forest guest house in Agartala, triggering a search operation by the Tripura Police.
Wagh was under investigation in connection with a high-profile cash seizure case being probed by the Crime Branch.
Cash Seizure Triggered Investigation
The case came to light earlier this month after the Government Railway Police detained Rajendra Chintaman Kaklij, a Mumbai-based relative of Wagh, at Agartala Railway Station with ₹59.94 lakh in cash.
The recovery led to a formal probe into possible financial irregularities and alleged misuse of official position. The case was subsequently handed over to the Crime Branch unit of Tripura Police.
Read Also: Odisha Govt Transfers 12 IFS Officers; G Rajesh Appointed Additional PCCF (Nodal)
Officer Under Surveillance, Later Goes Missing
Although not formally arrested, Wagh had been placed under close surveillance as part of the investigation. He was relieved of his duties as Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), South Tripura, and attached to the Forest Department headquarters in Agartala.
Sources said he had been instructed to stay at a designated forest guest house and cooperate with investigators. However, on Wednesday morning, officials found him missing from the premises.
His mobile phone was discovered abandoned in the room, raising suspicions that he may have deliberately evaded tracking.
Police Launch Manhunt
Tripura Police confirmed that a manhunt has been launched to trace the officer. Multiple teams have been deployed, and authorities are using surveillance inputs and local intelligence to track his movements.
Meanwhile, Kaklij was produced before a court, and police have sought his custodial remand to investigate the source and intended use of the seized cash.
Suspected Link to Official Residence
According to sources, the cash recovered was allegedly packed under suspicious circumstances at the official residence of the DFO in South Tripura, further deepening the investigation.
Profile: Gaurav Ravindra Wagh
Gaurav Wagh is a 2020-batch Indian Forest Service officer who had been serving as Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), South Tripura.
- Batch: 2020 (IFoS)
- Previous Role: SDFO, Teliamura
- Education: B.E. (Engineering)
- Year of Birth: 1995
He was removed from his post following the cash seizure and directed to report to headquarters pending investigation.
Probe Intensifies
With the officer now missing, the case has taken a serious turn, adding urgency to the ongoing probe. Authorities are expected to intensify efforts to locate him and uncover the full details behind the cash seizure.
