IAS Officer Vinay Choubey Nabbed in Jharkhand Liquor Scam

Ranchi: In a major action, senior IAS officer Vinay Kumar Choubey has been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for his alleged role in the Jharkhand liquor scam. Choubey is currently the Principal Secretary of the Panchayati Raj Department, and earlier served as the Excise Secretary in the Jharkhand government.

The arrest is linked to a liquor policy introduced in 2022, which, as per allegations, was changed in a way that helped a liquor syndicate from Chhattisgarh. These syndicate members, including government officials and businessmen from Chhattisgarh, were reportedly given contracts to supply liquor, manage manpower, and handle the hologram system in Jharkhand.

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Due to these deals, the state suffered financial losses, and it is alleged that illegal profits were made. The Chhattisgarh ACB had earlier filed an FIR naming Vinay Choubey and other officials. Later, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) also began a probe into money laundering and conducted raids in several locations, collecting key documents.

Now, the ACB has taken the big step of arresting Choubey and has also sought sanction from the Jharkhand government to prosecute him and another officer named Gajendra Singh.

This arrest is being seen as a big development in the ongoing investigation into the multi-state liquor scam.