Bhopal, Sep 4 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Bhopal Zonal Office, has arrested Shobhit Tripathi, the then Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Janpad Panchayat, Sironj (district Vidisha) in Madhya Pradesh, in a money laundering case linked to the fraudulent disbursement of government funds under the “Marriage Assistance Scheme.”

Tripathi was arrested on Wednesday under Section 19(1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. He was produced before the Special Court (PMLA), Bhopal, the next day, an ED press note said.

The court remanded him to ED custody till September 9, 2026, to facilitate further investigation.

The ED probe was initiated on the basis of an FIR (first information report) registered by the Economic Offences Wing, Bhopal, against Tripathi and others, the press note said.

The Marriage Assistance Scheme, implemented by the Government of Madhya Pradesh, provides financial assistance of Rs 51,000 to eligible daughters of registered construction workers. According to the ED, during his tenure as chief executive officer of Janpad Panchayat, Sironj, from 2019 to November 2021, Tripathi, in collusion with others, allegedly approved and disbursed government funds amounting to Rs 30.18 crore in respect of suspicious marriage assistance cases, the press note said further.

Investigators found that forged and fabricated application forms and beneficiary documents were used to fraudulently claim benefits under the scheme. Funds were transferred into bank accounts opened or misused on the basis of false credentials and were immediately withdrawn in multiple cash tranches. Benefits were also extended to ineligible persons. Notably, disbursements continued even during the COVID-19 lockdown period when public marriages were prohibited.

Earlier, on October 3, 2025, the ED had conducted search operations that resulted in the recovery and seizure of incriminating documents and digital devices. The agency is continuing its investigation to unearth the full extent of the money laundering and identify other persons involved in the alleged scam.

Further developments are awaited.

–IANS

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