The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached properties worth Rs 5.37 crore of the then Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sironj Janpad Panchayat in Madhya Pradesh, Shobhit Tripathi, and his associate Hemant Sahu, for alleged financial irregularities linked to a government marriage assistance scheme between 2019 and 2021, an ED official said in a statement on Friday, IANS reported. The ED's Bhopal Zonal Office issued the provisional attachment order under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

Source: IANS via AsiaPost

The Marriage Assistance Scheme was implemented by the Madhya Pradesh government to provide financial assistance of Rs 51,000 to women of registered poor construction workers. The ED said Tripathi, during his tenure as CEO of Sironj Janpad Panchayat 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.

Forged forms and the EOW case

The ED investigation was initiated on the basis of an FIR registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Bhopal, under Sections 420 and 409 read with 120-B of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 13(1)(e) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, against Tripathi and others, the agency said in its statement, as reported by Traders Union. The investigation found that forged and fabricated application forms and credentials of ineligible beneficiaries were allegedly used to fraudulently obtain benefits under the scheme.

Source: Enforcement Directorate statement via Traders Union

Tripathi was arrested on September 2 under the provisions of the PMLA and is currently in judicial custody, the ED said. The attached assets include immovable properties held in the names of Tripathi and Sahu. Further investigation is ongoing, the agency said. The allegations are yet to be tested in court.