West Bengal STF Seeks Tripura Government’s Sanction to Prosecute IAS Officer Abhishek Chandra in Alleged NGO Fraud Case
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, October 16, 2026
The Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal Police has sought government approval from Tripura to prosecute IAS officer Abhishek Chandra in an alleged fraud, forgery and financial misappropriation case linked to a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in Howrah district of West Bengal. According to official documents, the proposal was sent through the proper administrative channels earlier this year and was later placed before the Chief Secretary of Tripura for consideration.
According to the documents, the case relates to Penro Police Station Case No. 07/2025, registered on January 13, 2025, under Sections 318(4), 316(2), 338, 336(2), 340(2) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
On January 19, 2026, the West Bengal STF submitted a proposal seeking government sanction under Section 218 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, to prosecute Abhishek Chandra, an IAS officer serving under the Tripura Government who is currently under suspension.
The proposal was signed by Vineet Kumar Goyal, IPS, Additional Director General and Inspector General of Police, Special Task Force, West Bengal. The STF stated that the investigation had been conducted according to the required legal procedures and that prima facie evidence had been found in connection with the alleged offences. The agency requested the necessary approval to proceed with the prosecution and submit the charge sheet as required by law.
The West Bengal Police Directorate forwarded the proposal to the Home and Hill Affairs Department of the West Bengal Government on January 30, 2026, with the approval of the Director General and Inspector General of Police, West Bengal. Later, on February 27, 2026, the department sent a letter to the Chief Secretary of Tripura, requesting consideration of the prosecution-sanction proposal.
According to sources at the Tripura Civil Secretariat, the competent authority in Tripura subsequently granted the required sanction. Abhishek Chandra was also suspended, and the suspension was reportedly approved by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) under the Government of India.
Sources in West Bengal said the allegations originated from a complaint filed by Jabarani Polley. She alleged irregularities in the management and financial affairs of Chaltakhali Swamiji Seba Sangha, an NGO established by her father, Mahadeb Ghosh, in 1999 and registered in 2002 for social service activities.
According to the complaint mentioned in the STF proposal, Bablu Jana became associated with the organisation and had reportedly been working as its secretary since 2008.
The complaint alleges that Jana later took control of the NGO's affairs and that a branch was opened in Tripura without the necessary consent, allegedly with the involvement of Utpal Kumar Chowdhury. It also alleges that trust documents were forged and large amounts of money were misappropriated.
The proposal further mentions alleged irregularities involving the NGO's bank accounts. According to the allegations, its ICICI Bank account was frozen by the Financial Intelligence Unit in connection with suspected fraudulent activities, while its Axis Bank account was allegedly misused.
The West Bengal STF has named Abhishek Chandra as an accused in the case. The agency stated that its investigation had found prima facie evidence relating to the alleged offences under the relevant provisions of the BNS. The documents submitted in support of the prosecution proposal reportedly include a memorandum of evidence, the opinion of the Special Public Prosecutor, the FIR, the written complaint, seizure lists, statements recorded during the investigation and WhatsApp records.
In a separate but related development, the Tripura High Court passed an interim order on September 16, 2026, in connection with a petition filed by Abhishek Chandra. The case was registered as I.A. 1/2026 in W.P. (Crl.) 14/2026, with Abhishek Chandra as the applicant and the State of Tripura as the respondent.
The order was passed by a division bench comprising Justice Dr. T. Amarnath Goud and Justice S. Datta Purkayastha. Advocate N. Kumar and Advocate K. Roy appeared for the applicant, while Additional Public Prosecutor S. Saha represented the respondent, the State of Tripura.
After hearing the lawyers appearing for both sides, the High Court directed that notice be issued to the respondents and that the necessary steps be taken as quickly as possible. The court directed the Registry to serve notice on the respondent according to the prescribed procedure and file proof of service. It also allowed the applicant's counsel to serve personal notice through Registered Post with Acknowledgement Due (RPAD) or by dasti service and submit proof of service.
The court further ordered, “There shall be in interim suspension on the impugned proceeding until further order.”
The interim order means that the proceedings challenged in the petition will remain suspended until the High Court passes a further order.
Notably, Abhishek Chandra is an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the 2003 batch from the Tripura cadre. He entered the service as a Direct Recruit through the UPSC Civil Services Examination. As of October 2025, he has been placed under suspension by the Government of Tripura following major financial fraud allegations.
more news...