Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman Alleges Police Helped Ex-DFO Escape in Rs.60 Lakh Cash Scam, Claims Truth Was Being Suppressed

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, April 30, 2026

In a major political escalation over the Rs.60 lakh cash recovery case in Tripura, senior Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman has levelled serious allegations against the state police, claiming that former South Tripura DFO Gaurav Rabindra Wagh, IFS was deliberately allowed to escape to prevent exposure of a larger corruption network within the Forest Department.

Addressing the media, Sudip Roy Barman alleged that the police intentionally facilitated the escape of the accused officer. According to him, if the DFO had been arrested and properly interrogated, he could have revealed critical details about the alleged siphoning of funds within the Forest Department, specifically, how money was collected, routed, and distributed among various individuals.

“Had he been arrested, he would have disclosed everything, where the looted money came from, how it was moved, and who all were involved. To prevent this truth from coming out, the police helped him flee,” Barman alleged, raising serious questions about the intent and functioning of the law enforcement machinery.

The controversy stems from a cash seizure incident on April 23, 2026, when Agartala GRPS recovered Rs.59,95,500 from a passenger at Agartala Railway Station. The accused, Rajendra Chintaman Kankachila, reportedly told investigators that the money was handed over by his nephew, former DFO Gaurav Rabindra Wagh, for transport to Mumbai.

Despite this revelation, the Crime Branch did not immediately arrest Wagh. Instead, he was questioned over multiple days. When police finally moved to detain him, he had already absconded from his temporary stay at the State Forest Guest House yesterday.

Sources suggest that the accused may have misled investigators by leaving his mobile phone active at the location while escaping by road, raising further concerns about lapses in surveillance and monitoring.

The escape has triggered widespread criticism, especially since the accused reportedly evaded oversight from senior officials of the Crime Branch. Critics argue that such a high-profile accused in a corruption case should have been placed under strict watch or taken into custody immediately after his name surfaced.

Barman’s allegations have added a political dimension to the controversy, with demands growing for an independent probe into both the corruption case and the circumstances surrounding the escape.

Meanwhile, co-accused Rajendra Chintaman remains in police custody until May 4, 2026, as investigators continue to probe the source of the seized cash and possible links to a broader network involving public servants.

The FIR invokes provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, indicating the seriousness of the case.

However, the focus has now sharply shifted from the initial recovery to the alleged failure and now controversy, surrounding the escape of the main accused.

With Sudip Roy Barman directly accusing the police of aiding the escape, the issue is likely to intensify in the coming days, both politically and administratively. The case now not only raises questions about corruption but also about accountability within the state’s law enforcement system.

As search operations continue to trace Gaurav Rabindra Wagh, the spotlight remains firmly on whether the truth behind the alleged financial irregularities will eventually come to light or remain buried amid controversy.

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