NEW DELHI, March 24, 2026 – The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a regular case against suspended Indian Telecom Services (ITS) officer Arun Pati Tripathi and his wife, Manjula Tripathi, for allegedly amassing assets worth ₹4.91 crore disproportionate to their known sources of income.
The Investigation Background
The action follows a preliminary enquiry (PE) initiated in June 2025, based on a memorandum from the Department of Telecommunications and the Income Tax Department. Tripathi, a high-ranking officer, was on deputation to the Government of Chhattisgarh from 2013 to 2023. During this tenure, he held influential positions, including Special Secretary (Excise) and Managing Director of the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited. He was placed under suspension on December 22, 2023.
The Math of Corruption: 54.53% Over Known Income
The CBI established a “Check Period” spanning from February 1, 2013, to December 22, 2023, to analyze the couple’s financial growth. The findings revealed a stark contrast between their legitimate earnings and their lifestyle:
- Total Income: The couple earned approximately ₹9.00 crore from salaries, rental income, and retirement benefits.
- Total Expenditure: During the same period, they spent a staggering ₹10.97 crore.
- Asset Growth: Their assets grew from roughly ₹38 lakh at the start of the period to over ₹3.32 crore by the end.
The investigation concluded that the duo possessed disproportionate assets (DA) totaling ₹4,91,01,091, which is 54.53% beyond their legal income.
Lavish Investments and Foreign Remittances
The FIR details extensive investments made by the couple, particularly in the name of Manjula Tripathi, a former senior lecturer who took voluntary retirement in 2018. Key assets and expenditures include:
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- Real Estate: A ₹1.42 crore property in Sector 24, Naya Raipur, and a ₹54 lakh residential flat in Raipur.
- Foreign Education: Over ₹1.96 crore was sent abroad via foreign remittances, largely to fund their children’s engineering degrees at TU Delft in the Netherlands.
- Financial Portfolios: Millions were poured into mutual funds, stock holdings, and various investment firms such as NJ Investment and Neo Stone LLP.
Legal Action
The CBI’s Special Task Bureau (STB) in Delhi filed the FIR under Sections 13(1)(e) and 13(1)(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (and its 2018 amendment) against Arun Pati Tripathi. His wife, Manjula Tripathi, has been charged with abetment under Section 109 of the IPC and relevant sections of the PC Act.
Dy. SP Jyoti Shankar Sah has been entrusted with the formal investigation into the matter.