ED raids in Tripura related to PMLA cases against a cheater            

After series of raids by Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday in West Tripura and Sepahijala districts in at least four locations, the ED on Wednesday said that it conducted search operations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, at various premises in Tripura, Delhi, Haryana and West Bengal in connection with an ongoing investigation against Tripura-based alleged ‘cheater’ Utpal Kumar Chowdhury.

The ED sleuths of Agartala Sub Zonal Office has conducted search operations on Tuesday (August 26) under the provisions of the PMLA, 2002 at various premises in Tripura, Delhi, Haryana and West Bengal in connection with ongoing investigation against Chowdhury, a Tripura-based man involved in many alleged ‘fraudulent’ activities.

The statement said that during the search, various incriminating digital and physical evidences, stamps of various departments of government of Tripura -- Food, Civil Supplies and consumer Department, Directorate of Higher Education, Directorate of Elementary School, other PSUs and fake IDs of Union Ministry of Home Affairs were found and seized.

Further, the cash of Rs 7 lakh was seized and bank accounts having total balance of approximate Rs 60 lakh were frozen.

Incriminating evidence has been found with regards to investment in real estate and lands in various places of Tripura, said the statement.

Utpal Kumar Chowdhury , who was arrested from Kolkata, is currently in a Haryana jail, the ED said in a statement.

The central probe agency said that the ED initiated investigation on the basis of multiple FIRs registered by West Bengal Police against Chowdhury.

ED investigation has revealed that he had set up a web of entities/concerns where the names resemble the government or PSU entities -- Directorate of Higher Education Tripura, Bridge and Roof Company and Directorate of Apparel Council of India.

By incorporating concerns or company names similar to or resembling with reputed government entities and PSUs he had induced the public to invest money in such duplicate concerns, the ED said in its statement.

Chowdhury had impersonated a high rank officer in the government of India and cheated various persons on the basis of false assurance of availing government contracts.

Projecting himself as head of Directorate of Higher Education of Tripura, he cheated many education institutes on the promise of sending students to their institutes from Tripura and also cheated many individual on the false promise of giving tender of mid-day meal in various institutes under the Directorate of Higher Education of Tripura.

He had also fraudulently taken over the control of a NGO named M/s.Chaltakhali Swamiji Seva Sangha, registered under Foreign Contribution Regulation Act and opened its bank account to launder the money of various persons. It was found that through the circuitous web of transactions in such bank accounts the money was laundered through false entries, the ED said.

The ED statement said that primary investigation reveals that more than Rs 200 crore have been laundered through the Chalatkhali Swamiji Seva Sangh to different entities/concerns situated at Haryana, Kolkata and Delhi under the facade of bogus business of rubber with the rented bank accounts.

The rubber business shown in Tripura by Chowdhury and his accomplices in various states was found to be bogus as the actual sale/purchase of rubber was not there and only on papers the sale/purchase was shown. Also no details of transportation of rubber goods were found.

The Chalatkhali Swamiji Seva Sangh trust was utilized to give entries to the above entities and in many instances huge amounts have been withdrawn in cash after laundering the proceeds.

Chowdhury had close proximity with senior officers of the government of Tripura who used to introduce him as an officer of High rank to various businessmen.

It may be recalled here that the ED sleuth on Tuesday conducted searches at Khayerpur at the house of senior CPI(M) leader Pabitra Kar, as accused Utpal Kumar Chowdhury  is a relative of Kar and Arundhutinagar in West Tripura and Nalchar in Sepahijala district.

The central probe agency also conducted a search of the residence of father-in-law of Chowdhury at Nalchar. The ED team also conducted searches in two other places at Arundhutinagar in West Tripura district.