New Delhi, Jan 18 (AHN) The CBI on Sunday arrested the kingpin of a Rs 4 crore investment fraud in Tripura from Nadia district in West Bengal, an official said.

Tapan Pramanik, who was declared a Proclaimed Offender by a Special CBI Court in Tripura on January 16, 2023, was picked up by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and produced before a court in Nadia to seek transit remand for taking him to Tripura, the official said in a statement.

His arrest followed inputs collected during field verification, physical surveillance and thorough CDR analysis, the CBI said.

Pramanik was declared a Proclaimed Offender by Special Judge, Gomati District, Udaipur, Tripura, in the Chit Fund cas,e as he was absconding since 2012.

The CBI registered the instant case on October 8, 2013, against Pramanik, Director, M.P.S. Agro-Animal Projects Ltd and others, in pursuance of the notifications from the Tripura government and the Central government.

It was alleged that the accused, through the agents, fraudulently and dishonestly collected Rs 3 to 4 crore from the public on the pretext of investment of the collected money, but misappropriated the said collected funds/amounts.

After completion of the investigation, the CBI filed the charge-sheet on October 13, 2015, and a supplementary charge-sheet on May 31, 2019, against accused Pramanik and others.

Pramanik did not join the investigation, and a charge-sheet/supplementary charge-sheet was filed against him as an absconder. A warrant of arrest was issued against him by the Special Court, but he could not be traced/apprehended, the CBI said.

The Special Court declared Pramanik a Proclaimed Offender (PO) on January 16, 2023. Further, persistent and sustained efforts were made to trace the accused during the trial; however, he remained untraceable, the CBI said.

The company booked by the CBI for fraud, MPA Agro-Animals Projects Limited, is a public unlisted company incorporated on December 26, 2008, located in Santipur, Nadia, West Bengal.

The company operates in the field of Agriculture and Allied Activities, specialising in services often performed on a contract or fee basis.