CBI arrests long-absconding Tripura chit fund accused Tapan Pramanik after a decade, along with convicted fugitive Tamanna Chakma, highlighting a major crackdown on financial fraud and corruption cases across eastern India.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has achieved a major breakthrough in the long-pending Tripura chit fund scam by arresting a proclaimed offender who had been evading law enforcement for more than a decade. Officials confirmed on Sunday that fugitive accused Tapan Pramanik was arrested from Nadia district in West Bengal following sustained intelligence-led operations.
Pramanik, a director of MPS Agro-Animal Projects Ltd, was wanted in connection with a large-scale financial fraud case registered by the CBI on October 8, 2013. According to investigators, the accused, along with his associates, allegedly duped hundreds of investors by collecting Rs 3 to Rs 4 crore under the pretext of lucrative investment schemes. The funds were allegedly misappropriated, leaving numerous victims financially devastated.
CBI officials stated that the accused and his associates operated through a network of agents who fraudulently induced members of the public to invest their savings with promises of high returns. Instead of channeling the funds into legitimate business activities, the money was allegedly siphoned off for personal gain.
The agency filed its first charge sheet on October 13, 2015, followed by a supplementary charge sheet on May 31, 2019, naming Pramanik and other accused. However, Pramanik failed to cooperate with the investigation and remained untraceable despite repeated efforts. Consequently, the trial court issued warrants of arrest, and on January 16, 2023, Pramanik was officially declared a proclaimed offender.
After years of evasion, the CBI finally tracked Pramanik using a combination of digital footprint analysis, call detail record examination, physical surveillance, and field verification. These coordinated efforts led investigators to his hideout in Nadia district, where he was apprehended without incident on Sunday.
In a separate but equally significant development, the CBI also arrested Tamanna Chakma, also known as Tamie May, who had been absconding in another high-profile corruption case. Chakma was convicted on May 17, 2024, along with 22 other accused, in a 14-year-old misappropriation case involving alleged manipulation of compensation bills.
The case relates to allegations against U.P. Mishra, the then zonal manager of NPCC Ltd, Silchar (Assam), and five others. The CBI had registered the case based on a formal complaint accusing officials and intermediaries of financial irregularities. The trial extended for nearly 12 years before the judgment was delivered.
Despite the conviction, Chakma failed to appear before the trial court, prompting the issuance of an arrest warrant. According to a CBI spokesperson, sustained efforts were made throughout the trial period to trace her whereabouts, but she remained elusive and ignored court summons even after the pronouncement of the judgment.
Based on fresh intelligence inputs and advanced investigative techniques, including field verification and call detail record analysis, the CBI’s Shillong unit successfully located Chakma in Guwahati, Assam. She was detained on Saturday from the Geeta Nagar police station area and taken into custody.
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The twin arrests underline the CBI’s continued focus on pursuing economic offenders and enforcing judicial accountability, regardless of the time elapsed. Officials reiterated that absconding accused would be relentlessly tracked and brought to justice, reinforcing public confidence in the legal system and investigative process.
