Rs5 Cr properties attached under the PMLA
FinTech BizNews Service
Mumbai, 01 November, 2026: Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Bhopal Zonal Office has issued Provisional Attachment Order attaching properties worth Rs. 5.37 crores under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in connection with a money laundering investigation relating to fraudulent disbursement of government funds under the Marriage Assistance Scheme.
A marriage Assistance Scheme was implemented by the Government of Madhya Pradesh for providing financial assistance of Rs. 51,000/- to the daughters of registered poor construction workers. Shobhit Tripathi, during his tenure as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Janpat Panchayat, Sironj from 2019 till November 2021, in collusion with others, allegedly approved and disbursed government funds amounting to Rs. 30.18 Crore in respect of 5,923 suspicious marriage assistance cases.
ED investigation was initiated on basis of FIR registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Bhopal under Sections 420, 409 read with 120-B of the IPC, 1860 and Sections 13(1)(e) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 against Shobhit Tripathi, then Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Janpat Panchayat, Sironj, and others. Investigation revealed that forged and fabricated application forms and credentials of ineligible beneficiaries were used to fraudulently obtain benefits under the Scheme. Funds were transferred into bank accounts opened using the credentials of ineligible beneficiaries without their knowledge with the sole intent to transfer scheme funds in the said makeshift bank accounts and were immediately withdrawn in multiple tranches in cash. Benefits were also found to have been extended to ineligible persons during the COVID-19 lockdown period when public marriages were prohibited.
The various properties attached by the directorate consist of Immovable properties in the name of Shobhit Tripathi and his other associate Hemant Sahu. In the said matter, searches were conducted which resulted in the recovery of various incriminating documents. Further Shobhit Tripathi was arrested on 02.09.2026 under the provisions of the PMLA, 2002 and is presently under the judicial custody. Further investigation is under progress.
