Rajesh Tripura, the owner of the YouTube channel ‘Tripura News 8’, has been arrested on charges of forgery and fraud, accused of defrauding Himangshu Panchal of Rs 9 crore. His arrest, carried out by West Tripura Police, took place on Friday night in the Tuichakma area, following allegations that he orchestrated a scam involving forged land documents.
The complaint, filed in July 2023, led to a formal investigation at West Agartala Police Station. Officer-In-Charge Paritosh Das revealed that Tripura, along with five accomplices, was allegedly involved in a scheme utilizing counterfeit checks to purchase items such as LCD TVs and CCTV cameras, resulting in Rs 10 lakh in unpaid debts.
The alarm was raised on July 12, 2023, when Panchal reported the fraudulent sale of land worth Rs 1.25 crore by Tripura and his associates. Inspector Darling, who is leading the investigation, has already apprehended four suspects, with Tripura being the latest to be detained. Following his court appearance on Saturday, a request for a five-day remand was made, but the court granted only three days.
The case is documented under number 2023WAG111, with various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) applicable. Authorities are actively pursuing the remaining two suspects as the investigation continues to reveal the full extent of the fraud.