Bhopal, Sep 4 (PTI) A former Janpad Panchayat CEO in Madhya Pradesh, who "fraudulently" disbursed government funds meant for the marriage of construction workers' daughters when public activity was banned during the COVID-19 lockdown, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate under the anti-money laundering law.

Shobhit Tripathi, who served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Sironj Janpad Panchayat in Vidisha district, was taken into custody on September 2, the ED said in a statement on Friday.

On Thursday, he was produced before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Bhopal, which sent him to ED custody till September 9, the Central agency said.

The Madhya Pradesh government's Marriage Assistance Scheme provides financial assistance of Rs 51,000 to eligible daughters of registered construction workers.

The ED said that Tripathi, during his tenure between 2019 and 2021, allegedly approved and disbursed government funds worth Rs 30.18 crore for suspicious marriage assistance cases in collusion with some others.

"Funds were transferred into bank accounts opened or misused based on false credentials and immediately withdrawn in multiple cash tranches," it said.

"Benefits were also found to have been extended to ineligible persons and during the Covid-19 lockdown period when public marriages were prohibited," it said.

The ED said it booked Tripathi and some others after taking cognisance of an FIR filed by the Bhopal Police Economic Offences Wing. The agency carried out searches in the case in October last year. PTI NES RUK RUK