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Time of India
30-05-2025
- Time of India
Liquor scam: SuspendedIAS quizzed by ACB
Ranchi: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Friday interrogated suspended IAS officer Vinay Kumar Choubey and joint excise commissioner Gajendra Kumar Singh in connection with the Rs 38-crore liquor scam. Meanwhile, Choubey has moved the Jharkhand high court, challenging his arrest and prosecution initiated by the ACB. Notably, the interrogation continued for several hours at the ACB office here. DGP Anurag Gupta, who also heads the ACB, visited the place for a short period during the interrogation. The ACB team took Choubey from the paying ward of Rims to its office at about 11 am. A resident doctor also accompanied the accused to take care of his health. In his petition to the HC, Choubey sought the quashing of his criminal proceedings and the FIR filed in connection with the liquor scam. Challenging his arrest by the ACB, Choubey's petition said he has been falsely implicated in the case and there is no evidence against him and all allegations are false.
Hans India
23-05-2025
- Hans India
IAS Officer Vinay Choubey Arrested In Jharkhand Excise Scam
IAS officer Vinay Kumar Choubey, former Excise Secretary of Jharkhand, was arrested by the state's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in connection with a major excise scam. Alongside Choubey, Joint Commissioner of Excise Gajendra Singh was also taken into custody. The ACB alleges that Choubey collaborated with a Chhattisgarh-based liquor syndicate to draft and implement a new liquor policy in Jharkhand in 2022, which resulted in significant financial losses to the state exchequer. Investigations revealed that the policy was tailored to benefit members of the syndicate, with tenders and contracts for liquor supply, staffing, and the hologram system being awarded to associates of the group. This manipulation reportedly led to losses of around ₹38 crore for the state. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had previously conducted raids at multiple locations, seizing documents linked to money laundering activities associated with the scam. The case originated from an FIR registered in September 2024, naming Choubey and several others. The FIR, filed under sections related to fraud, criminal conspiracy, and corruption, accuses the officials of bypassing due process in awarding contracts and receiving illegal commissions. Following legal consultations and approval from the state government, the ACB detained Choubey from his residence and, after questioning both officials, placed them in judicial custody.
New Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
With latest liquor scam arrest, Jharkhand sees sixth serving IAS officer arrested in graft cases
RANCHI: As many as sixth serving Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers have been jailed in corruption-related cases in Jharkhand since the state was formed in 2000, marking one of the highest known figures among Indian states. Former Excise Secretary Vinay Kumar Choubey who was arrested in a liquor scam case on Tuesday, is the first IAS officer to be held by a state investigation agency — the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). He is considered a close confidant of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, having served as Secretary to the Chief Minister during Soren's 2019–2024 tenure. The BJP has alleged a wider conspiracy behind Choubey's arrest, claiming it is an attempt to shield more influential individuals involved in the scam. Leader of the Opposition and BJP state president Babulal Marandi claimed that the liquor scam in Jharkhand is larger than the one reported in Delhi and directly involves CM Soren.
India Gazette
22-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Ranchi has become capital of corruption": BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on arrest of senior IAS officer Vinay Kumar Choubey
Deoghar (Jharkhand) [India], May 22 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey in his remarks over the arrest of the senior IAS officer Vinay Kumar Choubey in connection with the liquor scam case stated that Ranchi had become the capital of corruption and no longer seemed to be the capital of Jharkhand. The BJP MP also slammed Congress over the arrest of senior IAS Officer Vinay Kumar Choubey and stated that wherever the party was, corruption would exist. 'It is the misfortune of Jharkhand... Ranchi does not seem to be the capital of Jharkhand anymore, but it is the capital of corruption... The people also now understand that this government is drenched in corruption. Wherever there is Congress, there will be corruption...' Dubey told ANI. Jharkhand's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday arrested IAS officer Vinay Choubey among two arrested, in the Jharkhand liquor scam case. A Joint Commissioner of the Excise Department has also been arrested in connection with the case, they added. Chaubey, who was the then Secretary of the Jharkhand Excise Department, had earlier been named in the case by the Chhattisgarh ACB in September 2024. Based on an FIR registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Chhattisgarh ACB, the Jharkhand ACB had initiated a preliminary enquiry (PE) to probe the matter. Currently, Chaubey is serving as the Principal Secretary of the Panchayati Raj Department and had previously held the post of Secretary to Chief Minister Hemant Soren. Along with IAS officer Vinay Chaubey, the ACB also arrested Gajendra Singh, Joint Commissioner of the Excise Department. Both have been sent to judicial custody till June 3 (15 days). After their arrest, Advocate Devesh Ajmani said, 'This morning, while Vijay Choubey was in his residential chamber, he was taken in for an investigation; thereafter, he was produced before the court and subsequently taken into custody. By filing an objection petition to this, we apprised the court that as per the settled principles of law by the Supreme Court, we were not given the grounds of arrest, we were never told as to what we were being charged for.' 'The court has taken note of all these things. We have also made sure that his health records are submitted before the court... There are two accused, one is Vinay Choubey, the other is Gajender Kumar Singh. They have been sent to 15 days' custody,' he added. Earlier, in October 2024, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had conducted raids at the premises of Chaubey and others in connection with the alleged liquor scam in Jharkhand's Ranchi. In August 2024, the ED in Raipur had arrested two individuals under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as part of its ongoing investigation into the liquor scam in Chhattisgarh. The ED launched its investigation based on an FIR filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Chhattisgarh, under various sections of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act. The agency's probe revealed that corruption in the liquor scam, which occurred between 2019 and 2022, was carried out through multiple methods. (ANI)
New Indian Express
22-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
With latest liquor scam arrest, Jharkhand sees seventh serving IAS officer arrested in graft cases
RANCHI: As many as seven serving Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers have been jailed in corruption-related cases in Jharkhand since the state was formed in 2000, marking one of the highest known figures among Indian states. Former Excise Secretary Vinay Kumar Choubey who was arrested in a liquor scam case on Tuesday, is the first IAS officer to be held by a state investigation agency — the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). He is considered a close confidant of Chief Minister Hemant Soren, having served as Secretary to the Chief Minister during Soren's 2019–2024 tenure. The BJP has alleged a wider conspiracy behind Choubey's arrest, claiming it is an attempt to shield more influential individuals involved in the scam. Leader of the Opposition and BJP state president Babulal Marandi claimed that the liquor scam in Jharkhand is larger than the one reported in Delhi and directly involves CM Soren.
