Vinay Kumar Choubey, an IAS officer involved in the Jharkhand liquor scam, has been granted bail by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court. The alleged scam, which involved approximately 100 crore, resulted in a loss of around 38 crore in revenue for the state government. Choubey’s lawyer, Devesh Ajmani, explained that the ACB did not file a chargesheet within the 90-day timeframe, leading to a default bail petition. As per the court’s ruling, Choubey is prohibited from leaving the state without prior permission and must keep his mobile number unchanged throughout the trial. He is also required to furnish two personal bonds, each amounting to 25,000 rupees. In case Choubey needs to travel outside the state, he must first obtain the court’s permission.
In May, 2024, Vinay Kumar Choubey, a senior IAS officer from the 1999 batch, was called for questioning by the Anti-Corruption Bureau regarding the Jharkhand liquor scam. After a lengthy interrogation, he was presented before the court and placed in judicial custody. The new liquor policy, based on the Chhattisgarh model, was implemented in Jharkhand in 2022. Despite expectations of increased revenue, the policy led to a loss of approximately 38 crore. The loss was linked to the activities of a Chhattisgarh-based syndicate, along with the use of counterfeit holograms and the illegal supply of liquor.
In October 2024, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids on the premises of Vinay Kumar Choubey and Joint Secretary Gajendra Singh, among others, in connection with the scam. Following Choubey’s bail, Babulal Marandi, former Chief Minister of Jharkhand and now the Leader of Opposition, expressed his concerns on social media. He stated that the ACB deliberately refrained from filing a chargesheet within the 90-day period, which facilitated Choubey’s bail. Marandi alleged that the previous Hemant Soren government orchestrated the arrest to hinder the ED investigation and conceal evidence. He urged the ED to take strong action against those involved in looting public funds. Prior to this, Choubey served as the Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Hemant Soren and as the Chief Electoral Officer of Jharkhand.