ED attaches ₹3 crore assets in Bhopal dairy money laundering case
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
The Enforcement Directorate (ED)'s Bhopal Zonal Office has provisionally attached movable and immovable properties worth approximately ₹3 crore in a money laundering investigation linked to adulterated dairy products. The action, taken under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, targets M/s Jayshri Gayatri Food Products Pvt. Ltd. (JGFPL) and individuals connected to the firm.
Assets Attached
The attached properties include a residential house, several plots of land, and bank balances held in the names of Sunil Kumar Tripathi, his family members, and entities under their control. The provisional attachment follows FIRs registered at Police Station Habibganj and the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Bhopal.
What the Investigation Uncovered
According to the ED, JGFPL was allegedly engaged in the manufacturing and export of adulterated dairy products. The company reportedly used forged laboratory reports to obtain export clearances and health certificates. Sunil Kumar Tripathi, the former Chief Executive Officer of the company, is accused of playing a central role in preparing and deploying these forged documents.
Investigators further found that Tripathi was allegedly involved in the diversion and misappropriation of dairy products from company stocks. The diverted goods were purportedly sold through multiple entities using fictitious invoices, and the proceeds were layered through a complex chain of unrelated transactions to conceal their criminal origin.
Arrests and Legal Proceedings
In a significant development, the ED has arrested Kishan Modi, Managing Director of JGFPL, and Sunil Kumar Tripathi. Both are currently in judicial custody. The agency has already filed a Prosecution Complaint before the Special Court (PMLA), advancing the case toward trial.
The charges framed under the Indian Penal Code include criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, and the use of forged documents against the company's directors, officials, and associated persons.
Investigation Continues
The ED has stated that further investigation is ongoing to identify additional proceeds of crime, trace the complete money trail, and determine whether other individuals or entities are implicated in the laundering offence. The case underscores growing regulatory scrutiny of food export supply chains where documentation fraud can mask large-scale financial crime.