Tripura: The West Tripura police have arrested Rajesh Tripura, the owner of the YouTube channel ‘Tripura News 8,’ on charges of forgery and fraud.
The arrest, which took place on Friday night in the Tuichakma area, followed allegations that Tripura used fake land documents to defraud Himangshu Panchal, Director of World Education Mission in New Delhi, out of nearly Rs 9 crore.
The case was initiated after Panchal filed a complaint in July 2023, leading to an investigation by the West Agartala Police.
According to Paritosh Das, officer-in-charge of West Agartala Police Station, the scheme was extensive and involved five other individuals besides Rajesh Tripura.
The accused are alleged to have used fraudulent checks to purchase items like LCD TVs and CCTV cameras from various vendors, amounting to Rs 10 lakh in unpaid debts.
Das elaborated, “On July 12 of last year, we received a complaint from Himangshu Panchal, who reported that six individuals, including Rajesh Tripura, colluded to commit document fraud and falsely sold a piece of land valued at Rs 1.25 crore.” During the investigation, four suspects were previously apprehended, and efforts are ongoing to arrest the remaining accused.
Inspector Darling led the recent operation that resulted in the arrest of Rajesh Tripura. He was presented in court on Saturday, where the police requested a five-day remand to continue their investigation; however, the court granted a three-day remand.
The case is registered under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Sections 120 (B), 166, 255, 403, 420, 465, 466, 467, 468, 471, 472, 473, and 474.
The investigation is ongoing as authorities seek to uncover more details about the alleged fraudulent activities and apprehend the remaining suspects involved in the scheme.
Read More: Meghalaya Education Department Enforces TIMS App Attendance Amid SSA Teachers’ Agitation