Jharkhand’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday arrested two senior officials, including an IAS officer who has served as a principal secretary in the state government, in connection with an alleged multi-crore excise scam.
The accused have been identified as IAS officer Vinay Kumar Chaubey, former principal secretary of the Department of Excise and Prohibition and former Managing Director of the Jharkhand State Beverages Corporation Limited (JSBCL); and Gajendra Singh, a joint commissioner in the same department.
The ACB has accused Choubey of collaborating with a Chhattisgarh liquor syndicate to formulate a new liquor policy in Jharkhand, causing financial loss to the state government.
According to an ACB press release, the accused allegedly misused their official positions by selecting placement agencies without following due procedures and legal provisions. The investigation has revealed evidence of criminal conspiracy, forgery, and cheating, allegedly resulting in a loss of approximately Rs 38 crore to the Jharkhand government, the ACB said.
An FIR has been registered under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 120B, 420, 467, 468, 471, 409, 407, 109, and corresponding sections of the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (amended in 2018).
After obtaining approval from the Cabinet Secretariat and the Vigilance Department, the ACB formed a special investigation team. Both Chaubey and Singh were arrested on Monday and sent to judicial custody.
The bureau has not ruled out further arrests in connection with the case.
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