Tripura government forms SIT to probe illegal withdrawal of ₹16.38 crore from Agartala Municipal Corporation’s account using cloned cheques. Police suspect Hyderabad-based fraudsters. UCO Bank to refund money, while rising cyber fraud in the state sparks concern.
The Tripura government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the illegal withdrawal of ₹16.38 crore from the bank account of the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) through cloned cheques. Officials confirmed the development on Thursday, describing the incident as one of the most serious financial frauds in recent years involving a civic body in the state.
SIT to Lead Probe
According to officials, the four-member SIT will be headed by the Additional Superintendent of Police (Urban), West Tripura district. The officer will submit the investigation report to Superintendent of Police (SP), West Tripura district, Namit Pathak.
The other members of the SIT include Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Sadar, Deba Prasad Roy; Inspector Rana Chatterjee, Officer-in-Charge of West Agartala Police Station and the investigation officer in the case; and Sub-Inspector Ranjit Das. The team has been tasked with fast-tracking the investigation and ensuring accountability in the case.
How the Fraud Took Place
The case came to light after UCO Bank’s Zonal Manager, Sanjib Roy, lodged a formal complaint at West Agartala Police Station. He reported that ₹16.38 crore was fraudulently withdrawn from AMC’s account through six cloned (counterfeit) cheques last week.
Preliminary investigation suggests that fraudsters forged the signature of a former AMC officer to carry out the withdrawal. Interestingly, the original cheques remain in AMC’s custody, proving that counterfeit cheques were used. Investigators suspect that the gang behind the operation is based in Hyderabad.
Police have collected CCTV footage from UCO Bank’s main branch at Kaman Chowmuhani, located in the heart of Agartala city, where the fake cheques were submitted. Authorities are closely examining the footage to identify those who physically deposited the cheques. “Once we identify the persons who submitted the forged cheques, we will be able to trace the wider network involved in this scam,” a police officer said.
AMC’s Response
AMC Mayor and BJP MLA Dipak Majumder has clarified that no municipal officer or employee is suspected of involvement in the scam. “The officers and employees of AMC are not connected with this fraudulent activity,” he said, urging people not to spread misinformation.
An AMC official further confirmed that the civic body has requested UCO Bank to return the entire withdrawn amount. The bank has already agreed to refund the money. A similar incident had occurred a few years ago, when UCO Bank also returned funds lost due to a fraudulent transaction.
Statewide Cybercrime Concerns
The case has highlighted rising cyber and financial crimes in Tripura. Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag revealed last week that since 2021, Tripura Police have identified online money fraud worth ₹46.96 crore in the state. Of this, authorities managed to hold back ₹5.2 crore, while ₹34 lakh has already been refunded to victims.
The DGP further said that the police are conducting a special drive to return more funds to victims in the coming three months after verification. Investigators have also recovered details of 20,387 bank accounts linked to these fraud cases, exposing the large-scale operations of cybercriminals targeting the state.
What Lies Ahead
With the SIT formally constituted, Tripura Police hope to expedite the investigation into the AMC fraud and bring the culprits to justice. The incident has raised serious concerns about banking security and the vulnerability of civic bodies to sophisticated financial frauds.
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The government and police officials have assured that strict action will be taken against the perpetrators, while banks are being urged to enhance verification measures to prevent such high-value fraud in the future.
