ED files PMLA complaint against ex-Sironj panchayat CEO Shobhit Tripathi
The ED has filed a prosecution complaint in Bhopal against a former Janpat Panchayat CEO and two others, alleging Rs 30.18 crore of Marriage Assistance Scheme funds went to 5,923 suspicious cases.
Key points
- The ED has filed a prosecution complaint under the PMLA before the Special Court in Bhopal against a former CEO of Janpat Panchayat, Sironj, and two others.
- The ED alleges Rs 30.18 crore was approved and disbursed in 5,923 suspicious cases under Madhya Pradesh's Rs 51,000 Marriage Assistance Scheme.
- The ED says forged forms and bank accounts of ineligible people were used; the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Photo: MaxnaCarta / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped). Representational image.
Shobhit Tripathi, then Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Janpat Panchayat, Sironj, and two other persons face a prosecution complaint filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 before the PMLA Special Court at Bhopal, the agency said on 31 October 2026. The ED alleges that government funds under Madhya Pradesh's Marriage Assistance Scheme were fraudulently disbursed. A prosecution complaint is the ED's equivalent of a chargesheet.
What Happened
According to the ED, the Madhya Pradesh government's scheme gave Rs 51,000 to the daughters of registered poor construction workers. The ED has alleged that during his tenure as CEO from 2019 till November 2021, the official, in collusion with others, approved and disbursed Rs 30.18 crore in 5,923 suspicious marriage assistance cases.
The ED's case is based on an FIR registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Bhopal, under Sections 420, 409 read with 120-B of the IPC and Sections 13(1)(e) and 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The ED alleges that forged and fabricated application forms and the credentials of ineligible beneficiaries were used to obtain benefits under the scheme. According to the agency, money was sent to bank accounts opened in the names of ineligible beneficiaries without their knowledge and then quickly withdrawn in cash in several tranches. The ED also said benefits were given to ineligible persons during the COVID-19 lockdown, when public marriages were prohibited.
The ED said it attached immovable properties in the name of the official and an associate on 28 October 2026, and that searches recovered documents. The official was arrested under the PMLA on 2 September 2026 and is in judicial custody, the agency said.
What It Means
The case concerns money meant for families of poor construction workers. The Special Court will now take up the complaint, and the ED said further investigation is in progress.
These are allegations, not findings of guilt; the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court, and due process continues.
This report describes enforcement actions and allegations on the public record, attributed to the officials cited. An order, FIR or chargesheet is not a conviction; parties are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Sources & Citations
- Enforcement Directorate press release — Enforcement Directorate