Bhopal, April 24 (IANS) The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Bhopal Zonal Office, has arrested Sunil Tripathi, former CEO of M/s Jayshri Gayatri Food Products Pvt. Ltd. (JGFPPL), in connection with an ongoing money laundering investigation.

According to an official Press note, Tripathi was taken into custody on April 20 under Section 19(1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

He was produced before the Special Court (PMLA), Bhopal, which granted ED custody until April 28 for further investigation.

The Press note stated that Tripathi had failed to cooperate with investigators, deliberately evading multiple summonses and email communications.

Earlier, on April 1, searches were conducted at his premises in Vadodara, Gujarat, under Section 17 of the PMLA.

During the operation, incriminating documents and electronic devices were seized, and account balances amounting to ₹9.36 lakh were frozen, the press note said.

The ED highlighted that Tripathi played a key role in preparing forged documents, supervising export operations, and generating proceeds of crime.

Investigations revealed that JGFPPL was involved in large-scale adulteration of dairy products, which were exported using forged laboratory reports submitted to the Export Inspection Agency (EIA), Indore.

On the strength of these documents, the company exported adulterated products and generated proceeds of crime worth approximately ₹20.59 crore, routed through its bank accounts.

The agency further noted that in the same case, Kishan Modi, Managing Director of JGFPPL, had been arrested on March 13 and remains in judicial custody.

A Provisional Attachment Order has already been issued, attaching properties worth ₹20.59 crore belonging to Modi and others.

The ED clarified that the money laundering probe was initiated on the basis of FIRs registered by Police Station Habibganj and the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Bhopal, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The investigation is continuing to identify additional proceeds of crime, trace the money trail, and ascertain the involvement of other individuals and entities.

–IANS

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