Agartala, Aug 1: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Agartala Sub-Zonal Office, has provisionally attached movable and immovable properties worth approximately Rs 1.05 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with an alleged illegal IPL and cricket betting syndicate operating in Tripura.

According to an ED press release, the attached assets include nine immovable properties and bank account balances held in the names of accused Laxman Paul and his wife Jhuma Dey Paul.

The ED initiated its investigation based on an FIR registered by Amtali Police Station under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Tripura Gambling Act, 1926, against Prasenjit Paul and Laxman Paul.

The case originated after Tripura Police conducted a search at the residence of Prasenjit Paul on May 11, 2023, during which officials recovered Rs 93 lakh in cash, a laptop, mobile phones, four debit cards, and 17 notebooks allegedly containing records of betting transactions.

The ED investigation found that Prasenjit Paul, allegedly in collusion with his maternal uncle Laxman Paul and other associates, operated an organised illegal betting network involving IPL and other cricket matches. The agency further alleged that Laxman Paul assisted Prasenjit Paul in running the betting operations and in evading arrest.

According to the investigation, Laxman Paul, along with his wife Jhuma Dey Paul, allegedly accumulated substantial cash deposits and acquired multiple immovable properties despite having no disclosed or documented legitimate source of income. The ED stated that several bank accounts were operated and controlled by Laxman Paul in his wife's name.

This is the second Provisional Attachment Order issued by the ED in the case. Earlier, on March 16, 2026, the agency had attached properties held in the names of Prasenjit Paul and his mother.

The latest attachment includes agricultural and residential land parcels located in West Tripura and a property in Kolkata, West Bengal, which the ED alleged were purchased predominantly through cash payments, along with balances in bank accounts held in the names of Laxman Paul and Jhuma Dey Paul.

With the latest attachment, the total value of assets identified as proceeds of crime and attached by the ED in the case has reached approximately Rs 2.43 crore, including cash, immovable properties and bank balances attached under the earlier order.

The ED said that further investigation into the case is underway.