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Vinay Kumar Choubey, an IAS officer implicated in the high-profile Jharkhand liquor scam (estimated at approximately 100 crore, with a loss of 38 crore in revenue to the state government), has been granted bail. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court approved his release. According to Choubey’s advocate, Devesh Ajmani, the ACB failed to file a charge sheet within the stipulated 90-day timeframe, which formed the basis of the default bail petition.
The court stipulated that Choubey must remain within the state unless granted permission to leave and must not change his mobile number throughout the trial. He is also required to furnish two personal bonds of 25,000 rupees each. Furthermore, if Choubey needs to travel outside the state for any reason, he must seek permission from the court.
Choubey, a 1999-batch IAS officer, was summoned by the ACB on May 20th for questioning related to the liquor scam. Following extensive interrogation, he was presented in court and remanded to judicial custody.
The scam involves a new excise policy (new liquor policy) based on the Chhattisgarh model, which was introduced in Jharkhand in 2022. Despite claims of increased revenue, the new policy resulted in a loss of over 38 crore rupees for the Jharkhand government. The involvement of a Chhattisgarh syndicate, the use of fake holograms, and the illegal supply of liquor contributed to the revenue loss.
In October 2024, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids on the premises of Vinay Kumar Choubey, Joint Secretary Gajendra Singh, and others in connection with the scam. Following Choubey’s bail, former Jharkhand Chief Minister and current Leader of the Opposition, Babulal Marandi, expressed concerns on social media platform X. He stated that the ACB intentionally did not file a charge sheet against the former secretary of Hemant Soren within 90 days, facilitating his bail. Marandi alleged that the Hemant Soren government orchestrated the arrest to influence the ED investigation and destroy evidence. He urged the ED to take strict action against the corrupt individuals involved in the theft of public funds. Choubey previously served as the Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Hemant Soren and as the Chief Electoral Officer of Jharkhand.
