New Delhi, May 20, 2026 — A massive financial scandal estimated at nearly ₹50 crore has rocked Tripura, exposing a fraudulent network operating right under the nose of law enforcement. What makes the case particularly shocking is its masterminds: a prominent couple serving within the state’s security forces.
The illicit operation unraveled overnight after a mobile video capturing bundles of cash stacked high on a bedroom floor went viral on social media. The intense public outrage that followed forced the state government to step in, leading to the immediate arrest of the couple and several accomplices.
The Spark: A Viral Video and Room Full of Cash
The scandal surfaced when a clip began circulating rapidly across WhatsApp and Facebook. The footage showed a room scattered with thick bundles of currency notes. Sitting calmly beside the mountain of cash was a woman identified as Menka Debbarma, a constable with the Tripura Police posted at the Agartala East Police Station.
Another image emerged shortly after, showing a man packing stacks of money into a bag. He was identified as her husband, Ajit Debbarma, a jawan (soldier) belonging to the 14th Battalion of the elite Tripura State Rifles (TSR).
The sheer volume of wealth—completely disconnected from the known income of regular security personnel—sparked immediate public fury and drew the attention of top government officials. Seeing the overwhelming evidence, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, who also holds the Home portfolio, intervened directly, ordering the state police to crack down on the network immediately.
The Modus Operandi: High Returns and Deep Deception
As the police launched an intensive investigation, the layers of a deeply entrenched financial scam began to peel away. Investigators revealed that the accused couple was running a classic “Ponzi” or fraudulent investment scheme targeting unsuspecting citizens, including fellow security personnel.
| Racket At A Glance | Details |
| Estimated Scale | Approximately ₹50 Crore |
| Primary Tactic | Promises of unusually high-yield returns on cash investments |
| Victim Profile | Common citizens, local villagers, and fellow police officials |
| Key Direct Evidence | ₹3 Crore in unaccounted cash seized during initial raids |
According to police sources, the group enticed people to hand over their life savings by promising massive, unrealistic returns on their investments within a short maturity period. For a long time, the couple leveraged their official uniforms and positions of authority to build trust and evade suspicion.
The house of cards collapsed when an individual, reported to be another police official, lodged a formal complaint at the Salema Police Station in the Dhalai district. The complainant stated that they had invested ₹65 lakh into the couple’s scheme. When the investment matured, the couple refused to return the money. Instead, they reportedly resorted to intimidation, using their positions in the police force to threaten and silence the investor.
Police Crackdown and Widening Net
Following the registration of cases at the Salema Police Station and the West Agartala Police Station, a special team spearheaded targeted raids. At the residence of constable Pijush Debbarma in Bhatgouri, Dhalai district, investigators hit a jackpot, recovering roughly ₹3 crore in pure, unaccounted cash.
The police moved swiftly to apprehend the prime suspects. Ajit Debbarma and Menka Debbarma were arrested and produced before the Kamalpur Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) court, which granted an eight-day police remand for rigorous interrogation.
The dragnet quickly expanded beyond the initial couple. Authorities have since arrested several others associated with the racket, including:
- Pijush Debbarma (Tripura Police Constable)
- Nanda Rani Debbarma (Wife of Pijush, spotted in a cash display video)
- Sanjana Debbarma (A health department employee and wife of a suspended constable)
To ensure a completely transparent and unhindered investigation, the police department has formally suspended the involved personnel from active duty.
Probing Darker Angles: The Myanmar Border Connection
While the financial fraud alone has stunned the state, the investigation is rapidly moving toward an even more dangerous narrative. Led by high-ranking officials—including Director General of Police (DGP) Anurag, Inspector General (Law and Order) Manchak Ipper, and Dhalai Superintendent of Police Rushikesh Jaysing Desai—investigators are looking into where all that liquidity originated.
Because Tripura shares a long international border with Bangladesh and sits close to major regional narcotics transit routes, authorities are deeply concerned that international drug cartels might be using local security personnel to launder money and distribute illicit goods.
What Lies Ahead
The Officer-in-Charge of the Salema Police Station, Dipak Das, confirmed that notices are being dispatched to dozens of individuals connected to the ledger books seized during the raids. Investigators are currently sorting through bank statements, phone records, and asset deeds to map out the entire extent of the network.
With multiple departments coordinating, the state government has made it clear that no one, regardless of their rank or political clout, will be spared. For the people of Tripura, the focus remains firmly on how deep this institutional compromise goes, and whether the victims of the scam will ever recover their hard-earned money.