Ex-Jharkhand CM aide held in liquor scam

Ranchi

The Jharkhand Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday arrested senior IAS officer Vinay Kumar Chaubey in connection with the liquor scam after a long interrogation session. He was later produced before a special ACB court in Ranchi. This is the first time in over 15 years that the ACB has taken such major action against a serving IAS officer in the state.

Chaubey, currently Principal Secretary of the Panchayati Raj Department, had earlier served as Excise Secretary and Secretary to Chief Minister Hemant Soren. The arrest followed a raid at his residence and questioning related to the 2022 excise policy, allegedly based on the controversial Chhattisgarh model.

Investigations revealed that the same liquor syndicate from the Chhattisgarh scam may have influenced Jharkhand’s policy, securing key contracts and causing heavy financial losses. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had previously questioned Chaubey, who denied any wrongdoing, stating the policy had government approval.

A Jharkhand-based complainant later filed an FIR in Chhattisgarh, accusing the same syndicate of replicating the scam in Jharkhand. The ED registered a case and conducted multiple raids in October 2024, including at Chaubey’s premises.

Based on initial findings, the ACB began a Preliminary Inquiry with state approval. After gathering enough evidence, a formal FIR was filed. Chaubey was summoned again for questioning, and around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, after a medical check-up, he was formally arrested.