₹16.25 Crore AMC Loot: Police Yet to Make Breakthrough

• By Thetripurapost Desk, Agartala
• Sep 06, 2025
• 562

Even after 48 hours of filing an FIR in the sensational ₹16.25 crore loot from the Municipal Corporation, state police have failed to make any breakthrough. Despite the magnitude of the case, no special investigation team or cyber crime unit has been assigned yet.

According to reliable sources, the fraud was meticulously planned over weeks. On August 1, the Municipal Corporation informed its bank about a change in the account operator. The very next day, another letter was sent seeking to change the registered phone number linked to SMS alerts. Bank records show that a man named Uttam Chakma was introduced as the new account operator — but the Municipal Corporation has confirmed no such person works in the organization.

Investigators believe the fraudsters used cloned cheques to siphon funds. Between August 3 and September 2, transactions were carried out using six cheques, routed through accounts in four banks outside the state. A large part of the withdrawn money reportedly passed through Nagpur, Maharashtra. On Friday, West Police Station officials visited the Agartala branch of UCO Bank and the Municipal Corporation office, but no concrete progress has been announced.

The scam has raised fresh concerns about cyber and financial frauds. Just last week, State DGP Anurag Dhankar had warned of rising cybercrime cases. According to official records, since 2021, online frauds worth nearly ₹47 crore have taken place in the state — with only ₹5 crore saved by banks and just ₹34 lakh recovered for victims.

Nationally too, digital fraud is spiraling. In 2023, India reported online scams worth ₹7,400 crore. In 2024, the figure surged by 206%, crossing ₹22,800 crore.

The municipal loot, the biggest financial fraud in Tripura in recent years, has sparked public outrage as the police remain silent on concrete action or arrests.