IAS Officer Vinay Choubey Arrested In Jharkhand Liquor Scam For Alleged Collusion With Chhattisgarh Syndicate
IAS officer Vinay Choubey and Excise Joint Commissioner Gajendra Singh were arrested in the Jharkhand excise scam for allegedly helping a Chhattisgarh liquor syndicate manipulate state policy and cause major financial loss.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Jharkhand arrested Vinay Choubey, the state’s Excise Secretary, on Tuesday in connection with the 2022 Jharkhand liquor policy scam. Joint Commissioner of Excise, Gajendra Singh, was also detained for his alleged involvement in the same case.
According to ACB officials, Choubey is accused of conspiring with a liquor syndicate based in Chhattisgarh to create and implement a new excise policy in Jharkhand. The modified policy allegedly favored the syndicate, leading to substantial financial losses to the state’s exchequer.
The investigation into the case began after an FIR was lodged on September 27, 2024, naming Choubey and six others. The FIR was based on a complaint filed in Raipur by Vikas Kumar, a resident of Ranchi. It alleged that contracts for liquor supply, workforce arrangements, and hologram systems were unfairly awarded to syndicate-linked businessmen, allowing them to profit through illicit means.
Businessman Anil Tuteja was also named as a key suspect in the scam. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) subsequently conducted multiple raids, seizing incriminating documents tied to money laundering activities.
The ACB’s case is grounded in findings from the Chhattisgarh Economic Offences Wing (EOW), which had earlier requested legal sanction to prosecute both Choubey and Singh. Based on a legal review by a Supreme Court advocate, the Jharkhand government approved the prosecution.
Choubey was taken into custody early Tuesday morning from his residence, followed by the interrogation and arrest of Gajendra Singh. Both were questioned over their suspected roles in facilitating the policy changes that benefited the syndicate.
