The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended a proclaimed offender in Kolkata associated with two Tripura chit fund cases. Sanjit Chakraborty, the Chairman and Managing Director of M/s Cosmic Negociators Pvt. Ltd., had been on the run since 2013 when the FIR was lodged by Tripura Police. After 13 years of evading authorities, Chakraborty was finally captured in Kolkata on Tuesday.
Following notifications from the Tripura and Central governments under the DSPE Act, 1946, the CBI took charge of the cases. In 2015, a charge sheet was filed against Chakraborty and others for defrauding the public of around Rs 7.48 crore in the first case. Subsequently, in 2024, another charge sheet was submitted in the second case, alleging misappropriation of public funds amounting to approximately Rs 27.13 lakh.
Chakraborty was listed as an absconding accused in both charge sheets. Despite his efforts to remain elusive since 2013, the CBI managed to track him down in Kolkata, West Bengal, through diligent investigative work involving field verification, technical and physical surveillance, and analysis. The arrested individual will be transported to Tripura for court proceedings after obtaining a transit warrant from the Kolkata court.
The CBI has been actively pursuing individuals across various states, including Assam, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra, in connection with the Tripura chit fund scandal. These illicit activities have severely impacted the Northeastern state, with numerous illegal chit fund companies operating fraudulent Ponzi schemes, deceiving a large number of individuals. In response to this crisis, the Tripura High Court in 2024 mandated the establishment of a reimbursement plan for victims of chit fund scams.
