The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Agartala sub-zonal office, has provisionally attached bank balances worth approximately Rs 1.12 crore under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, including those held in the name of suspended Tripura cadre IAS officer Abhishek Chandra.The attachments was carried out through a provisional order on July 31, 2026, in connection with a case involving the impersonation of government officials and cheating of investors and businessmen through entities bearing deceptive similarity to government organisations.The attached assets comprise of bank balances held in the names of shell entities controlled by Utpal Kumar Chowdhury, Abhishek Chandra and a private housing company, representing proceeds of crime traced to them.The ED initiated its investigation under the PMLA based on multiple FIRs registered in West Bengal and Tripura against Chowdhury and his associates for offences of cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust and impersonation under the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. These offences are scheduled under the PMLA.Investigation had revealed that Chowdhury reportedly projected himself as a senior officer of the Ministry of Home Affairs and used fake identity cards to support the claim.It further alleged that he floated firms with names resembling those of government departments and public sector undertakings, including ‘Directorate of Higher Education, Tripura’ and ‘M/s Bridge & Roof Co’, and fraudulently took control of a registered trust, Chaltakhali Swamiji Seva Sangha.Using these entities, Chowdhury allegedly lured businessmen and investors by promising of government tenders, mid-day meal supply contracts and profits from the rubber business, and induced them to transfer funds running into crores of rupees into the bank accounts of these entities.According to the ED, the proceeds of crime were routed through a web of shell firms allegedly controlled by Chowdhury and his associates, and were substantially withdrawn in cash for distribution. A significant portion of the proceeds was further traced to downstream entities and allegedly invested in immovable properties, vehicles and other assets held in the names of the accused and their family members.The investigation has further revealed that Chandra allegedly received proceeds of crime both directly in his personal bank accounts and indirectly through payments made by the alleged scheme entities to a private housing company for booking a flat in his name.With the latest attachment, the total value of assets provisionally attached in the case across two provisional attachment orders has reached approximately Rs 1.63 crore, the ED said.Further investigation is under way.