Tripura police investigate forest officer after relative is found with about Rs 60 lakh in cash
The Facts
- A Mumbai-based relative of South Tripura DFO Gaurav Ravindra Wagh, identified as Rajendra Chintaman Kaklij, was intercepted at Agartala Railway Station with about Rs 59.94 lakh in cash.
- The cash recovery took place during checking at Agartala Railway Station on April 23, and Kaklij was taken for questioning after police said he could not satisfactorily explain the source of the money.
- The case expanded beyond Kaklij to include scrutiny of DFO Gaurav Ravindra Wagh, with reports that he was detained or otherwise placed under investigation in connection with the seized cash.
- Investigators searched Wagh's official residence in connection with the cash recovery case and seized documents, CCTV footage, a laptop and a drone camera.
- The Tripura Forest Department removed Wagh from his post as South Tripura DFO and directed him to report to the department headquarters pending the investigation.
- The case matters beyond the initial seizure because it has triggered both a criminal investigation and administrative action within Tripura's forest department, with police examining possible links between the seized cash and official conduct.
- What remains unresolved is the source and intended use of the seized cash, which investigators say is still under examination.
Context
Who is Rajendra Chintaman Kaklij and how is he connected to the case?
Police and multiple reports identify Rajendra Chintaman Kaklij as a Mumbai-based relative of DFO Gaurav Ravindra Wagh, described in several accounts as Wagh's maternal uncle. He was the person stopped at Agartala Railway Station with about Rs 59.94 lakh in cash, which led to the wider investigation Asian News Internat…,NewsDrum,India Today NE.
What action has the Tripura government taken against the forest officer?
The forest department removed Gaurav Ravindra Wagh from his post as South Tripura DFO and directed him to report to the office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests or department headquarters until further orders. Another forest official was given charge of the DFO office while the probe continues NORTHEAST NOW,India Today NE.
What are investigators doing next?
Police and the Crime Branch have searched Wagh's official residence and seized materials including documents, CCTV footage, a laptop and a drone camera as part of the inquiry. The investigation is focused on tracing the source of the money and determining whether it is linked to misconduct or corruption Rediff.com India Lt…,United News of India,NewsDrum,India Today NE.
How left and right read it
What stands out is that this moved quickly from a cash seizure to both a criminal investigation and administrative action inside the forest department. When police are examining possible links between nearly Rs 59.94 lakh in cash and official conduct, the public interest is in whether public institutions can identify abuse of office and act before trust erodes further.
The key issue is procedural integrity: police intercepted about Rs 59.94 lakh in cash, questioned the relative when he could not explain its source, then expanded the case to search the DFO's official residence and remove him from his post pending investigation. Those steps may be justified, but the unresolved question remains the source and intended use of the cash, so the case should turn on what investigators can substantiate.
The receipts — all 9 sources
Independent coverage (9)
Facts first. Then every angle.
The day’s biggest stories in one short brief — the facts everyone agrees on, then the competing values behind the headlines. Free in your inbox.