ED Arrests Former Janpad Panchayat CEO in ₹30.18-Crore Madhya Pradesh Marriage Assistance Scam
The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Bhopal Zonal Office, has arrested Shobhit Tripathi, the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Janpad Panchayat, Sironj, Madhya Pradesh, in connection with an alleged ₹30.18-crore fraud involving the government’s Marriage Assistance Scheme.
Tripathi was arrested on September 2, 2026, under Section 19(1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. He was produced before the Special Court under the PMLA in Bhopal on September 3, which granted the ED custody until September 9 for further investigation.
The ED initiated its investigation based on an FIR registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Bhopal, against Tripathi and others.
The investigation concerns the Marriage Assistance Scheme introduced by the Madhya Pradesh government to provide financial assistance of ₹51,000 to eligible daughters of registered construction workers.
According to the ED, Tripathi allegedly colluded with others while serving as CEO of Janpad Panchayat, Sironj, from 2019 to November 2021, to approve and disburse approximately ₹30.18 crore in government funds against suspicious marriage assistance applications.
Investigators allegedly found that forged application forms and fabricated beneficiary documents were used to obtain scheme benefits fraudulently. The funds were reportedly transferred into bank accounts opened or misused using false credentials and then withdrawn in multiple cash instalments.
The ED also found alleged instances in which financial assistance was provided to ineligible beneficiaries. Some payments reportedly related to the COVID-19 lockdown period, when public marriages were prohibited.
The agency is investigating the alleged misuse of public funds, the identities of the beneficiaries and the movement of the money disbursed under the scheme.
Earlier, on October 3, 2025, the ED conducted searches in connection with the case and recovered documents and digital devices considered relevant to the investigation.
News Source : Directorate of Enforcement (ED) – Official Press Release, Government of India
