Tripura’s IFS Officer in Rs 60 Lakh Cash Seizure Scandal Still Absconding, Assam Civil Service Officer Arrested in Assam Bribery Case

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, May 21, 2026

In two major corruption-related developments from the Northeast, an Assam Civil Service (ACS) officer has been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Branch in Guwahati for allegedly accepting a bribe, while suspended Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Gaurav Rabindra Wagh of Tripura continues to remain absconding in the sensational Rs 60 lakh cash seizure case despite rejection of his anticipatory bail plea by a Tripura court.

The Anti-Corruption Branch of Assam arrested ACS officer Lachit Kumar Das during a trap operation after he allegedly accepted a bribe of Rs 50,000.

Das, who was posted at the Land Records Officer’s office in Rupnagar, Guwahati, was apprehended following verification of a complaint alleging demand and acceptance of illegal gratification. Officials stated that the officer was caught red-handed recently during the operation and further investigation is underway.

Meanwhile, in Tripura, suspended IFS officer and former South Tripura Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Gaurav Rabindra Wagh continues to remain absconding since April 28, 2026, in connection with the high-profile Agartala Railway Station cash seizure case involving Rs 59.95 lakh.

The Additional Sessions Court of West Tripura recently rejected the anticipatory bail plea filed by the accused officer, accepting the arguments of investigators that granting pre-arrest bail at this stage could hamper the ongoing investigation and influence evidence or witnesses.

The case began on April 23, 2026, when Tripura’s Special Branch police personnel intercepted Mumbai-bound passenger Rajendra Chintaman Kankachila at Agartala Railway Station and recovered Rs 59,95,500 in cash concealed inside a trolley bag.

During interrogation, Rajendra allegedly disclosed that the cash had been handed over to him by his nephew, IFS officer Gaurav Rabindra Wagh, for transportation to Maharashtra.

Police subsequently registered a case under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Investigators later added more serious sections during the course of the probe, including Sections 11 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act along with Sections 238 and 249(B) of the BNS.

Authorities suspect that the case may involve corruption linked to government works, abuse of official authority, illegal financial transactions and a wider network of irregularities.

The alleged escape of the suspended IFS officer has triggered widespread criticism and embarrassment for the investigating agencies. Sources claimed that despite his name surfacing during interrogation and despite being questioned for nearly two days, investigators did not immediately arrest him. By the time the Crime Branch team reportedly moved to detain him, he had allegedly disappeared from the State Forest Guest House in Agartala.

Investigators suspect that he deliberately left his mobile phone switched on at the guest house to mislead authorities before escaping quietly by road.

The incident has sparked sharp political reactions and raised serious questions over possible lapses in surveillance and investigation.

Leader of Opposition Sudip Roy Barman has questioned how an accused officer in such a sensitive corruption case could evade arrest despite being under close monitoring.

Meanwhile, co-accused Rajendra Chintaman Kankachila remains in police custody as investigators continue probing the source of the seized cash and possible involvement of other officials or intermediaries.

The case is now being viewed as one of the most significant corruption investigations in Tripura involving an All India Service officer, with public attention focused both on the alleged corruption network and on the circumstances that allowed the prime accused to flee.

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