Daijiworld Media Network - Bhopal
Bhopal, Sep 4: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Bhopal Zonal Office, has arrested Shobhit Tripathi, the then Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Janpad Panchayat, Sironj in Madhya Pradesh's Vidisha district, in a money laundering case linked to alleged 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, the ED said in a press note.
He was produced before the Special Court (PMLA), Bhopal, on Thursday. The court remanded him to ED custody until September 9, 2026, to facilitate further investigation.
The ED probe was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Bhopal, against Tripathi and others, the agency said.
The Marriage Assistance Scheme, implemented by the Madhya Pradesh government, provides financial assistance of Rs 51,000 to eligible daughters of registered construction workers.
According to the ED, Tripathi served as CEO of Janpad Panchayat, Sironj, from 2019 to November 2021. During this period, he allegedly colluded with others to approve and disburse government funds amounting to Rs 30.18 crore in connection with suspicious marriage assistance cases.
Investigators found that forged and fabricated application forms and beneficiary documents were allegedly used to fraudulently claim benefits under the scheme.
The funds were transferred into bank accounts allegedly opened or misused using false credentials and were subsequently withdrawn in multiple cash instalments, the agency said.
Benefits were also allegedly extended to ineligible persons. The ED noted that such disbursements continued even during the COVID-19 lockdown, when public marriages were prohibited.
Earlier, on October 3, 2025, the ED conducted search operations in connection with the case and recovered and seized incriminating documents and digital devices.
The agency is continuing its investigation to ascertain the full extent of the alleged money laundering and identify other persons involved in the suspected scam.
Further developments are awaited.