BHOPAL: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Bhopal Zonal Office, has provisionally attached immovable properties worth Rs 5.37 crore in an alleged money laundering case involving the fraudulent disbursement of Rs 30.18 crore under the Madhya Pradesh government's Marriage Assistance Scheme.
The scheme provides financial assistance of Rs 51,000 to daughters of registered construction workers from economically weaker sections for their marriages. According to the ED, its investigation has uncovered alleged irregularities involving 5,923 suspicious beneficiary cases.
The ED alleged that Shobhit Tripathi, who served as the Chief Executive Officer of Janpad Panchayat, Sironj, in Vidisha district from 2019 to November 2021, colluded with others to approve and disburse Rs 30.18 crore through fraudulent applications.
The investigation followed an FIR registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Bhopal, against Tripathi and others under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The ED found that forged application forms and fabricated credentials of ineligible beneficiaries were allegedly used to obtain financial assistance. Bank accounts were reportedly opened using beneficiaries' identity documents without their knowledge. The funds were transferred to these accounts and later withdrawn through multiple cash transactions.
The investigation also found alleged irregularities during the COVID-19 lockdown, when financial assistance was extended to ineligible individuals despite restrictions on public marriages.
The attached properties include immovable assets belonging to Tripathi and his associate Hemant Sahu. Search operations in connection with the case also led to the recovery of several documents.
Tripathi was arrested by the ED on September 2, 2026, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, and is currently in judicial custody.
The ED said further investigation into the alleged irregularities and money laundering was underway.
