ED Attaches Assets in Two Major Money Laundering Cases in Tripura, Attached Suspended IAS Officer Abhishek Chandra's Bank Deposits and Rs. 1.05 Crore Worth Properties Linked to Cricket Betting Under PMLA
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, August 2, 2026
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has intensified its crackdown on alleged financial crimes in Tripura by issuing two separate Provisional Attachment Orders under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The actions relate to a suspended Tripura cadre IAS officer Abhishek Chandra in an alleged fraud case and an illegal IPL cricket betting syndicate operating in the state.
In the first case, the ED has provisionally attached bank deposits worth more than Rs. 1 crore allegedly linked to suspended Tripura cadre IAS officer Abhishek Chandra, along with alleged associate Utpal Kumar Chowdhury and a private housing company. The attachment order, issued on July 31, 2026, covers bank balances held in the names of shell entities that the ED alleges were controlled by Chowdhury, Chandra and the private company.
According to the media reports, the attached funds have been identified as alleged proceeds of crime arising out of an investigation into a large-scale cheating case. The agency has alleged that Chowdhury falsely projected himself as having close proximity to senior government officials posted in Tripura and used that claim to deceive businessmen and investors. The investigation further alleges impersonation of government officials and cheating through entities associated with a private housing company.
The media reports stated that the attachment was made through a Provisional Attachment Order under the PMLA and that the investigation into the money laundering aspects of the case is continuing.
Abhishek Chandra, a 2003-batch IAS officer of the Tripura cadre, had held several senior administrative positions in the state before being suspended. The present attachment relates only to alleged proceeds of crime identified during the ongoing investigation. The allegations remain under investigation and are subject to judicial proceedings.
In a separate action, the ED's Agartala Sub-Zonal Office has provisionally attached movable and immovable properties valued at approximately Rs. 1.05 crore in connection with an alleged illegal IPL and cricket betting syndicate.
The attachment order, also issued on July 31, 2026, covers nine immovable properties and bank balances held in the names of accused Prasenjit Paul and his wife. The case stems from an FIR registered by Tripura Police at Amtali Police Station under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Tripura Gambling Act, 1926.
The ED's investigation followed a police search conducted on May 11, 2023, at the residence of Prasenjit Paul, during which officials recovered Rs. 93 lakh in cash, a laptop, mobile phones, four debit cards and 17 notebooks allegedly containing records of betting transactions.
According to the Enforcement Directorate, the investigation revealed that Prasenjit Paul, in alleged connivance with his maternal uncle Laxman Paul and other associates, operated an organised syndicate involved in illegal betting on IPL and other cricket matches. Laxman Paul, who has been named as a co-accused in the FIR, is alleged to have assisted in the betting activities and in evading arrest.
The EDs media reports further claimed that Laxman Paul and his wife, Jhuma Dey Paul, operated and controlled several bank accounts and accumulated substantial cash deposits and multiple immovable properties without any disclosed legitimate source of income.
The central agency stated that this is the second Provisional Attachment Order in the cricket betting case. An earlier attachment order dated March 16, 2026, had covered properties held in the names of Prasenjit Paul and his mother. With the latest attachment, the total value of alleged proceeds of crime attached in the case has reached approximately Rs. 2.43 crore.
Both investigations are being carried out under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002. The ED reports has maintained that further investigation into both cases is in progress, while the allegations will ultimately be subject to adjudication under the due process of law.
more news...