A massive crackdown by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Madhya Pradesh has been launched in relation to a massive fraud in the state in the Marriage Assistance Scheme. The agency conducted searches on seven locations in the state on official sources, such as Bhopal, Vidisha, Katni, and Chhatarpur. They raided the homes and offices of various persons, among them the then CEO of the Janpad Panchayat in Sihor (Sironj), Shobhit Tripathi, who is one of the key accused in the case.
In the searches, the ED confiscated a number of incriminating documents, property papers, and electronic devices, which it is assumed had significant evidence pertaining to the scam. The agency has also frozen bank accounts and mutual funds worth 21.7 lakh, which are attributed to the accused.
According to initial investigations, Tripathi and others purportedly tampered with records under the scheme of Madhya Pradesh Marriage Assistance to steal about ₹30.18 crore of government money through 5,923 alleged fraudulent marriages. The fraudulent practices were allegedly done through making fictitious beneficiary lists and filing forged documents to avail the scheme benefits intended to be received by the economically weak segments.
According to the officials, the raids were made as part of a bigger investigation in order to trace the money trail and all those who took part in the racket. The ED believes that this fraud may go further than these districts and may involve multiple tiers of beneficiaries and government officials.
The case is under investigation, and further revelations are likely to happen in the days to come. According to the sources, the agency can request other suspects to be questioned after they have forensically analyzed captured digital materials and documents. This action highlights why the ED is still concerned with revealing the corruption and financial anomalies in welfare programs throughout the state.
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