Sepahijala Zoo Scam: Report Alleges Large-Scale Financial Misconduct, WL Authority Silent on Punishment
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, January 15, 2026
A detailed inspection report submitted by the then District Forest Officer (DFO), Sepahijala, Sumit Das, IFS has brought to light alleged large-scale financial and administrative irregularities at the Sepahijala Zoological Park, naming the then Zoo Director Biswajit Das, TFS (now IFS) as the principal officer responsible during the period under review.
The inspection, conducted for the period from April 2022 to March 2025, was carried out by Sumit Das, IFS, who was serving as District Forest Officer, Sepahijala at the time and is presently posted at the Forest Department Headquarters. The inquiry report was formally submitted in July 2025.
Notably, there are approximately 250 animals and birds of different species in Sepahijala Zoo, to whom food and veterinary medicines are required to be provided on a daily basis, as per available records. The annual budget for animal feed and veterinary medicines is around Rs. 2 Crore. This amounts to an average expenditure of approximately Rs. 54,800 per day for all animals, or about Rs. 219 per animal per day.
Additionally, around Rs.4 crore per year is allocated for construction, maintenance, and other related works. However, it is alleged that a significant portion of the total expenditure has been siphoned off, which has reportedly come to light during a recent DFO-level inquiry.
However, despite the gravity of the findings, the Forest Department has not yet ordered any special audit or finance inspection, sources said.
According to the inspection note, the alleged financial irregularities and violations of the General Financial Rules (GFR) 2017 and Departmental Financial and Procurement Rules of Tripura (DFPRT) 2019 took place during the incumbency of Biswajit Das, who is currently serving as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Higher Education Minister Kishore Barman.
The report further states that the alleged acts were carried out in connivance with the Zoo Veterinary Doctor, Dr. Keshab Debnath, who was actively involved in procurement-related matters, including medicines and animal feed, without following prescribed codal formalities.
The inspection report alleges that statutory records such as cash books, stock registers, work registers, fund registers, and Central Zoo Authority (CZA) fund records were either improperly maintained or not maintained at all. Revenue accounting was reportedly done in violation of treasury rules, with parallel cash books being maintained and later merged incorrectly in monthly expenditure statements.
One of the most serious observations pertains to custody of elephant tusks (ivory). While records showed four tusks in stock, physical verification revealed eight, with entries for four tusks missing from the stock register. The report notes that this discrepancy raises serious concerns regarding wildlife trophy management and record integrity.
The inspection also flagged misuse of Forest Department Special Form No. 1 (Muster Roll). The forms were reportedly unnumbered, unsigned by the Drawing and Disbursing Officer, and certified by private contractors instead of authorized departmental officers. Wage payments were allegedly routed repeatedly to the accounts of a few selected private individuals and firms.
Procurement of animal feed, medicines, teak wood, computer accessories, and catering services was allegedly carried out without observing tender or quotation procedures. The report highlights instances where multiple firms appeared to operate under different names but used a single Beneficiary ID and identical GST numbers, with payments credited to one account. Field verification reportedly revealed that only one registered firm existed at the stated address, rendering other firms named in bills fictitious.
Central Zoo Authority funds were also brought under scrutiny. The report states that separate registers were not maintained, vouchers were supported only by carbon copies, and registers showed extensive use of whitener, which is prohibited under financial rules.
The inspection report explicitly records that the alleged irregularities occurred during the tenure of Biswajit Das as Drawing and Disbursing Officer, and that the pattern of transactions indicated either gross negligence or deliberate intent to misappropriate government funds. However, the report stops short of assigning criminal liability, recommending instead a thorough and independent inspection by the Directorate of Finance, Government of Tripura.
Despite the submission of the report in July 2025, no special audit, finance inspection, or departmental inquiry has so far been ordered, raising concerns within official circles. Sources said the absence of follow-up action in a case involving alleged embezzlement of crores of rupees from a premier wildlife institution has triggered disquiet within the Forest Department.
The matter is presently under consideration of higher authorities. If a special audit is ordered, it may lead to further administrative or legal action based on the findings of the finance inspection.
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