Tripura forest officer removed after man held with Rs 60 lakh cash, accused sent to 4-day police remand

The Tripura Forest Department on April 24 removed Indian Forest Service officer Gaurav Ravindra Wagh from the post of Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), South Tripura, after a man allegedly linked to him was arrested at Agartala Railway Station with nearly Rs 60 lakh in cash.

The arrested individual has been identified as Rajendra Chintaman Kankachila. Police produced him before a court, which remanded him to police custody till April 29 for further investigation.

In an official order issued on Friday, R.K. Samal directed Wagh to report to the office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force, Government of Tripura, until further orders.

The order stated that the charge of DFO, South Tripura District, would remain with Kamal Bhowmik, Sub-Divisional Forest Officer (SDFO), Sabroom, as additional responsibility. It further instructed Wagh to join Forest Headquarters by April 25 with immediate effect.

According to intelligence sources, the Special Branch and the Government Railway Police detained Kankachila on Thursday morning after recovering the cash during checking operations at Agartala Railway Station. Investigators suspect he was preparing to travel to Kolkata by train.

Sources said that at around 7:10 am, a black Scorpio vehicle carrying the nameplate of the South Tripura DFO arrived at the railway station entrance. During security checks, one bag was reportedly allowed for inspection, while another bag was allegedly not opened initially, which aroused suspicion among officials. The man was subsequently detained and the cash was seized.

During questioning, the accused allegedly claimed that the South Tripura DFO was a distant relative. Authorities said the claim is being verified as part of the ongoing investigation.

Officials further said the accused has been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act and investigators are examining his alleged links with the forest officer and the source of the recovered money.

“We have produced him before the court, and the court has sent him to police remand until April 29. We are investigating the matter,” an official source said.

The case has triggered significant attention in Tripura, with the state government and law enforcement agencies expected to closely monitor the probe into the high-value cash seizure and any possible official connections.