The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached two residential flats owned by Utpal Kumar Chowdhury, an accused in a high-profile money-laundering case, in Agartala, West Tripura. The move comes under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), pending further investigation and adjudication by the competent authority.
The attached properties include Flat No. 404 at Vivanta Building in Agartala Sheet No. 14 and Flat No. 1B on the first floor of Prantik Apartment at Kunjaban Colony, both falling under the jurisdiction of the Sub-Registrar, Sadar, Agartala.
The flat at Vivanta Building was purchased in the name of Utpal Kumar Chowdhury’s mother, Pratima Chowdhury, through a sale deed executed on November 9, 2024, for Rs 58.80 lakh. The ED identified Rs 30,28,751, approximately 51.50% of the property’s value, as proceeds of crime linked directly to the alleged offence.
The second property, at Prantik Apartment, was bought by Utpal Kumar Chowdhury himself on November 7, 2024, for Rs 95 lakh. The agency has identified Rs 20,81,667, or around 21.91% of the flat’s value, as proceeds of crime. Combined, the total value of attached assets amounts to Rs 51,10,418.
Utpal Kumar Chowdhury, notorious for his involvement in large-scale frauds, was previously arrested by the ED in connection with the Rs 250-crore mid-day meal supply scam. He had been evading law enforcement for an extended period and is reportedly wanted in multiple cases across Tripura, West Bengal, and other states. He was finally apprehended in September 2025 from Haryana, after which the ED registered a case under PMLA against him.
The ED’s latest action aims to prevent the dissipation of assets linked to illegal activities while the investigation continues. Authorities have reiterated that the attached properties are directly associated with the proceeds of crime, and further legal proceedings will determine the final adjudication of these assets.
