Rs.60 Lakh Cash Seizure at Agartala Railway Station: Relative of Tripura DFO Detained in Major Corruption Probe

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, April 24, 2026

In a major development that has sent shockwaves through Tripura’s administrative circles, state police have detained a Mumbai-based relative of an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer after seizing nearly Rs.60 lakh in cash at Agartala Railway Station.

The accused, Rajendra Chintaman Kaklij, reportedly a close relative (maternal uncle) of South Tripura’s Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Gaurav Ravindra Wagh, IFS was intercepted on Thursday afternoon before he could enter the designated platform. Authorities recovered Rs.59,94,500 in cash from his possession, raising serious questions about the source of the funds.

The case has taken a dramatic turn as multiple individuals, including DFO Gaurav Ravindra Wagh, his relative Kaklij, a forest guard, and the official driver of the DFO’s Scorpio vehicle, have been detained for questioning. A case has been registered under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and investigations are currently being carried out jointly by the state police’s Special Branch and the Government Railway Police (GRP).

According to police sources, the cash was allegedly packed under suspicious circumstances on Wednesday night at the DFO’s residence in South Tripura. A forest guard present at the location is believed to have witnessed the packing of the large sum of money.

Investigators revealed that Kaklij had arrived in Agartala from Mumbai by flight on Wednesday. Instead of returning by air, he reportedly chose to travel by train with the cash, possibly to avoid scrutiny. On Thursday, he was transported to the railway station in a government vehicle assigned to the DFO. The vehicle was accompanied by a forest guard and driver, though the DFO himself was not present at the time.

Sources further indicated that intelligence agencies had already been monitoring the financial activities of DFO Wagh amid allegations of irregularities in forest department projects. The seizure now adds weight to suspicions of possible financial misconduct.

Notably, Gaurav Ravindra Wagh, a 2020–2022 batch probationary IFS officer, is currently serving as the DFO of South Tripura. He was appointed to the position in January 2024 as part of a reshuffle by the Tripura government. Prior to this, he served as an Attached Officer to the Director of NCE, Agartala, and also held the position of Sub-Divisional Forest Officer (SDFO) in Teliamura.

The involvement of a senior forest official has elevated the seriousness of the case, with the Crime Branch and railway police expected to uncover deeper layers of alleged corruption in the coming days.

Authorities have not ruled out further arrests as interrogation continues and financial trails are being examined.

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