The Tripura government has launched a high-level probe into a major financial fraud involving the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC), where over Rs. 16 crore was allegedly siphoned off through fraudulent transactions.

To ensure a thorough investigation, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted, led by Additional SP, West Tripura (Urban) Dhruba Nath.

The SIT includes SDPO (Sadar) Deba Prasad Roy, Officer-in-Charge of West Agartala Police Station Inspector Rana Chatterjee, and Sub-Inspector Ranjit Das, who has been assigned as the case's Investigating Officer (IO).

The state government has directed the SIT to collect all relevant evidence and conduct a comprehensive, impartial investigation to bring those responsible to justice.

Authorities have also instructed the team to prioritize review meetings and regularly assess progress in the case.

The scandal surfaced recently when it was discovered that Rs. 16.43 crore had been illicitly withdrawn from AMC’s official account at the UCO Bank’s Agartala branch.

Prima facie it appeared that the funds—allocated for public development initiatives—were reportedly diverted to an account belonging to a Hyderabad-based agency with no official ties to the AMC.

Agartala Mayor Dipak Majumder, addressing the media earlier, suggested that the misappropriation likely involved the use of cloned bearer cheques.

The case has raised serious concerns about financial security within government institutions, and the SIT’s findings are expected to shed light on the modus operandi and those involved in the embezzlement.