In a significant move against corruption, the Jharkhand government has suspended senior IAS officer Vinay Kumar Choubey (1999 batch, Jharkhand cadre) and Joint Excise Commissioner Gajendra Singh following their arrests in connection with a high-profile liquor scam. The suspensions were ordered after the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) apprehended both officials on charges of misusing their official positions, leading to considerable financial losses for the state.
Mr. Choubey, who had previously held the positions of Secretary, Excise Department, and Private Secretary to Chief Minister Hemant Soren, was arrested on May 20 after prolonged interrogation by ACB officials. Preliminary findings suggest his involvement in policy-level manipulations that enabled widespread illegal activities in the liquor trade during his tenure. The scam, which is believed to have operated between 2019 and 2022, allegedly involved the unlawful supply of liquor from a Raipur-based syndicate in Chhattisgarh to Jharkhand, facilitated through fake holograms and unauthorized distribution channels.
An FIR filed by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in September 2024 accuses Mr. Choubey of orchestrating deliberate changes to Jharkhand’s liquor policy between 2022 and 2023 to benefit a network of corrupt vendors. The case links him to a broader syndicate comprising:
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Former IAS officer Anil Tuteja
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Businessman Anwar Dheber
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Former MD of Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Arunpati Tripathi
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IAS officer and former Excise Commissioner of Chhattisgarh Niranjan Das
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Arvind Singh, a key player in the network
According to the FIR, this group rigged tendering processes, distributed unaccounted domestic liquor using counterfeit holograms, and illegally sold foreign liquor, earning crores in illicit commissions. The racket resulted in a significant revenue drain for the Jharkhand government and uncovered a deep nexus between bureaucrats and private liquor operators.
The arrest and suspension of Mr. Choubey underscore the gravity of the case, which has since evolved into a multi-state investigation. Authorities in Chhattisgarh are also facing scrutiny for similar irregularities, pointing to an extensive and coordinated web of alleged corruption in the liquor trade across state borders.
