Tripura police claimed to have advanced the investigation into the scam in which fraudsters siphoned ₹16.38 crore from the account of the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC).
The Police said ₹7 crore has been recovered through using technical tools after tracing the scammers reportedly based in South Indian states on Saturday (September 13, 2025). The progress was made a day after the State Government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Additional S.P. Dhruva Nath.
The money was drained out through cheques forging the signature of municipal corporation Commissioner D.K. Chakma from a branch of the UCO Bank.
The SIT has arrested a cashier from the same city branch as her detention was required in the investigation. She has been identified as Ramayani Shrimayi, a resident of Nowgaon district in Assam.
Police, however, have not provided details of her alleged connection with the scam. Sources, however, said she provided technical support to the scamsters.
The UCO Bank has already paid back the embezzled fund to the AMC account as demanded by Mayor Dipak Majumder. Bank officials said they are cooperating with the police to track down the scammers and prevent such occurrences in the future.
The loot of ₹16.38 crore, which occurred between August 25 and September 2, triggered political controversy, with the Opposition claiming the AMC has been gripped in financial fraud in funds concerning the smart city project. AMC officials claimed they had no hand in the bank fraud and other project matters are audited as well as open to review.
Published – September 14, 2025 05:00 am IST
