Suspended IAS Officer Abhishek Chandra Faces Multiple Legal Proceedings as Fresh Rs.14.55 Crore Fraud FIR Revives Scrutiny Over Two-Decade Controversy
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, July 5, 2026
A fresh criminal case alleging a Rs.14.55 crore fake government tender fraud against suspended Tripura-cadre IAS officer Abhishek Chandra has brought renewed attention to a series of legal proceedings and administrative actions that have surrounded the 2003-batch officer over the past two decades.
The latest case was registered at the New Capital Complex (NCC) Police Station in Agartala on July 1, 2026 (Case No. 2026NCC044) following a complaint by Manish Malani, representing Nagpur-based SK Sales Corporation. The complaint alleges that Chandra and three other accused induced the company to part with Rs.14.55 crore by promising government tenders and work orders that were later found to be non-existent. Based on the complaint, Tripura Police have registered offences under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and impersonation. The investigation is continuing, and no court has yet determined the guilt of any accused.
The fresh FIR has intensified public scrutiny because it follows a long history of litigation and departmental proceedings involving Chandra. Soon after his induction into the Indian Administrative Service in 2003, allegations emerged that he had entered the civil services using a Scheduled Caste (SC) certificate that investigators later alleged was not genuine. Proceedings were initiated by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the Government of India, while the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) subsequently filed a charge sheet alleging offences including conspiracy, cheating and forgery. Chandra has contested these allegations, and the matter has remained the subject of prolonged judicial proceedings.
The litigation has involved proceedings before the Gauhati High Court and has remained pending for several years. Because of ongoing judicial proceedings and interim legal protection, no final administrative decision regarding his original appointment to the IAS has been implemented.
The controversy has drawn comparisons with the case of Chandra's brother, Abhinav Chandra, formerly an IPS officer of the West Bengal cadre. According to publicly reported records, he also faced proceedings relating to an allegedly fraudulent Scheduled Caste certificate and was subsequently dismissed from service. The different outcomes in the two cases have prompted questions from legal observers and sections of the public regarding the pace and consistency of disciplinary proceedings under the All India Services.
Separately, Chandra was placed on compulsory waiting by the Government of Tripura in 2025 and was later suspended pending departmental and continued corruptions and criminal proceedings. The Government has maintained that departmental action and criminal investigations are being conducted independently in accordance with the All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules.
The latest FIR also names three other accused namely Sudip Paul, Krishna Chakraborty and Utpal Kumar Chowdhury. Investigators allege that the accused acted together to persuade the complainant company to invest substantial sums on the assurance of government contracts relating to the Tripura Government Mid-Day Meal Scheme and the power sector. According to the complaint, the company later discovered that the tender documents and work orders were allegedly forged.
Police are reportedly tracing the alleged money trail, examining bank transactions and collecting documentary evidence as part of the ongoing investigation. No arrests had been officially confirmed at the time of filing this report as no government officials wants to comments anything as investigation is underway.
It is mentionable that apart from the pending criminal cases, various complaints over the years have alleged financial and administrative irregularities during Chandra's tenure in different government departments. Some complaints have also alleged links to a private company allegedly formed while he was serving as a government officer. These allegations remain matters of investigation or legal proceedings, and no court has delivered a final conviction establishing criminal liability in relation to those allegations.
Before his suspension, Chandra held several senior positions in the Government of Tripura, including Special Secretary in the Planning Department, Secretary for Information Technology, Managing Director of the Tripura Industrial Development Corporation, Director of Commerce and Industries, and Chief Executive Officer of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).
The latest developments have renewed calls from sections of civil society and political observers for the early conclusion of both the departmental inquiry and the pending judicial proceedings. They argue that prolonged litigation involving a senior civil servant has raised important questions about accountability, transparency and public confidence in the administrative system.
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