Shobhit Tripathi arrested in Rs 30.18 crore marriage assistance scam

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Shobhit Tripathi, the former Chief Executive Officer of Janpad Panchayat in Sironj, Madhya Pradesh, in connection with a Rs 30.18 crore money laundering scam. The case involves the alleged fraudulent disbursement of funds from the state government’s Marriage Assistance Scheme.

Tripathi, who served as CEO from 2019 to November 2021, is accused of colluding with others to approve suspicious claims using forged application forms and fabricated beneficiary documents. The scheme was designed to provide Rs 51,000 in financial assistance to the daughters of registered construction workers. Investigators found that funds were transferred to accounts opened with false credentials and withdrawn in multiple cash installments. Notably, disbursements allegedly continued during the COVID-19 lockdown when public marriages were prohibited.

The arrest was made under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, following an FIR by the Economic Offences Wing in Bhopal. A special court has remanded Tripathi to ED custody to facilitate ongoing investigations into the full extent of the fraud and the identification of other involved parties.