Agartala, August 1: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally seized assets worth approximately ₹1.05 crore linked to an illegal IPL/cricket betting syndicate operating in Tripura. The seized assets include nine immovable properties and funds deposited in bank accounts under the names of the accused and his wife.
The ED initiated an investigation against Prasenjit Paul and Laxman Paul based on an FIR filed by Tripura Police (Amtaali Police Station) under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and the Tripura Gambling Act, 1926. This FIR was registered following a search conducted by Tripura Police on May 11, 2023, at Prasenjit Paul’s residence, where ₹93 lakh in cash, a laptop, mobile phones, four debit cards, and 17 notebooks containing betting transaction entries were recovered.
The investigation revealed that Prasenjit Paul was part of an organized syndicate involved in illegal betting on IPL and other cricket matches, collaborating with his uncle Laxman Paul and other associates. The FIR also names Laxman Paul as a co-accused, alleging that he assisted Prasenjit in these illegal activities and evading arrest. Further inquiries indicated that Laxman Paul, along with his wife, Mrs. Jhuma Dey Paul, had amassed significant cash deposits and several immovable properties, all without any declared or documented legitimate income sources.
This is the second provisional attachment order issued by the ED in this case. The first order was released on March 16, 2026, which targeted properties owned by Prasenjit Paul and his mother. The current order includes nine plots of agricultural and residential land located in West Tripura and a property in Kolkata, West Bengal, primarily purchased through cash transactions. It also encompasses funds deposited in bank accounts held by Laxman Paul and Jhuma Dey Paul.
With this latest order, the total value of the proceeds of crime seized by the ED in this case (including cash, immovable assets, and funds attached under the interim order dated May 16, 2026) amounts to approximately ₹2.43 crore. The investigation is ongoing.
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