Who Is IAS Abhishek Chandra? Tripura Officer Booked in Alleged Rs 14.55 Crore Tender Fraud; FIR Names Four, Probe Underway
A serving Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Tripura cadre has found himself at the centre of a major alleged financial fraud after Tripura Police registered a criminal case accusing him and three others of cheating a private company out of Rs 14.55 crore through what investigators describe as a fake government tender racket. The case revolves around allegations that forged government work orders were used to convince a Nagpur-based company to deposit huge sums of money in the hope of securing lucrative public contracts.
The First Information Report (FIR), registered on July 1 at New Capital Complex Police Station in Agartala, names 2003-batch IAS officer Abhishek Chandra, who is serving as Special Secretary in the Planning (Statistics) Department of the Tripura Government. The FIR also names Krishna Chakraborty, Utpal Kumar Chowdhury and other unidentified persons.
Police have launched a detailed investigation under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including sections dealing with cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and the use of forged documents. Officials say the investigation will focus on financial transactions, the authenticity of the alleged government documents and the role played by every accused person.
Nagpur-Based Company Alleges Multi-Crore Fraud
The complaint that triggered the police action was filed by Manish Malani, representing SK Sales Corporation, a company based in Nagpur.
According to the FIR, the alleged fraud began in February 2024 when Abhishek Chandra reportedly introduced himself as a senior government official responsible for approving and supervising tenders across several departments of the Tripura Government, including the Directorate of Higher Education.
The complainant has alleged that Chandra informed company representatives about several profitable government procurement opportunities, particularly in the power sector and the Mid-Day Meal Scheme. He allegedly claimed that he was in a position to facilitate the award of these contracts and assured the firm that it could secure substantial business in Tripura.
Believing these representations, the company decided to explore the proposed business opportunities.
New Delhi Meeting Allegedly Led to Joint Venture
As per the complaint, representatives of SK Sales Corporation were invited to New Delhi in August 2024. During this meeting, they were allegedly shown what appeared to be genuine government tender documents connected to projects in Tripura.
The FIR claims that Abhishek Chandra advised the company to enter into a Joint Venture (JV) with Krishna Chakraborty, who was represented during discussions by her husband, Sudip Paul.
Trusting the proposal, the company signed the Joint Venture Agreement on September 4, 2024.
The same day, the complainant says the company deposited an Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) of Rs 1,94,05,726.
Just two weeks later, on September 19, 2024, the company allegedly received a work order worth Rs 2.56 crore, reinforcing its belief that the contracts were genuine and officially approved.
Payments Allegedly Increased to Rs 14.55 Crore
According to the FIR, the company continued making additional Earnest Money Deposit payments over the following months.
The complaint states that between September 2024 and February 2025, multiple payments were made, taking the total amount transferred to Rs 14,55,42,945.
The complainant has further alleged that between October 2024 and March 2025, several RTGS transfers were received from the bank account of Krishna Chakraborty.
These transfers were allegedly described as profit-sharing payments and partial refunds linked to the proposed government contracts.
The company claims that these transactions strengthened its confidence that the business arrangement was genuine and encouraged it to continue investing additional funds.
Company Claims Fake Documents Were Exposed During Tripura Visit
The alleged fraud came to light when company representatives travelled to Tripura in April 2025 to inspect the progress of the projects.
According to the complaint, they approached officials of the Directorate of Higher Education to verify the work.
During those interactions, they allegedly discovered that no such tenders had ever been issued by the department.
Officials also reportedly informed them that the work orders presented by the accused had never been issued by the government.
The complainant has alleged that every tender document and work order shown to the company had been fabricated.
This discovery prompted the company to approach the police and seek criminal action against those allegedly involved.
Another Accused Already Facing Criminal Proceedings
The FIR also contains allegations against Utpal Kumar Chowdhury, who was reportedly introduced to the complainant as the person responsible for processing payments under the government contracts.
However, according to the complaint, the company later discovered that Chowdhury had already been arrested by the West Bengal Police in another criminal case.
The FIR further states that he is currently lodged in a jail in Haryana.
Investigators are now expected to examine whether that case has any connection with the present allegations or whether the two matters are entirely separate.
Police Register Case Under Multiple BNS Sections
Following the complaint, Agartala Police registered an FIR under Sections 61(2), 204, 316, 318, 319, 336, 338, 340 and 341 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The investigation has been assigned to Sub-Inspector Rahul Das.
Police sources said the probe will involve verification of the alleged tender documents, examination of bank records, scrutiny of financial transactions and identification of everyone who may have played a role in the alleged conspiracy.
Investigators are also expected to determine whether forged government documents were prepared using official templates and whether any larger network was involved.
No Arrests Announced Yet
Despite the seriousness of the allegations, police have not announced any arrests in the case so far.
Officials say the investigation is still at an early stage, and evidence is being collected before any further legal action is taken.
The case has attracted considerable attention because it involves a serving IAS officer and allegations relating to forged government documents and financial transactions exceeding Rs 14.55 crore.
Who Is IAS Officer Abhishek Chandra?
Abhishek Chandra is a 2003-batch IAS officer of the Tripura cadre.
Originally from Maharashtra, he holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering along with an MBA. Over a career spanning more than two decades, he has served in several important administrative positions at both the state and central levels.
Among his prominent assignments was a five-year tenure as Director in the Union Ministry of Shipping. He also served as Managing Director of the Tripura Industrial Development Corporation and as Chief Executive Officer of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC).
Within the Tripura Government, he handled a wide range of departments, including Power, Transport, Rural Development and Land Records, before being appointed Special Secretary in the Planning (Statistics) Department.
Career Faces Fresh Legal Challenges
The latest FIR marks another major legal challenge in Abhishek Chandra’s career.
In recent months, he has faced significant administrative action from the Tripura Government. He was placed under suspension with headquarters at Agartala after being removed from his secretariat responsibilities.
Earlier, in August 2025, the state government had withdrawn his departmental portfolios and placed him on compulsory waiting.
Apart from the present tender fraud case, Chandra has also been under legal scrutiny in connection with matters relating to the verification of community certificates under his alternate legal identity, Sachin Pramod Besarya. Those issues have been the subject of proceedings before the Gauhati High Court as well as inquiries involving the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
With the registration of the latest FIR alleging a Rs 14.55 crore tender fraud, investigators are expected to closely examine financial records, banking transactions, government files and the authenticity of the alleged work orders. As the investigation progresses, the findings could determine whether additional accused are brought into the case and whether further legal action follows against those named in the FIR.
