Abuse of Power
ED Raids Jharkhand IAS Officer Vinay Chaubey’s Premises in Multi-Crore Liquor Scam Probe
The Enforcement Directorate raided multiple locations in Ranchi and Raipur linked to Jharkhand IAS officer Vinay Chaubey over alleged involvement in a major liquor fraud case in Chhattisgarh. The raids come after the Supreme Court denied Chaubey’s plea to quash the FIR filed by the state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau, implicating him in a scheme that reportedly caused significant financial loss to the state.
Ranchi, October 29, 2024: In a significant move against suspected corruption, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted extensive raids across multiple locations linked to a senior IAS officer from Jharkhand, Vinay Chaubey, in relation to a liquor scam allegedly causing a substantial financial loss to the Chhattisgarh government. The raids, covering up to 15 locations in the Jharkhand capital, Ranchi, and in Raipur, are part of a larger investigation into suspected irregularities in the excise department and the manipulation of liquor laws.
The ED action comes following a recent Supreme Court decision that rejected a plea to quash the First Information Report (FIR) filed against Chaubey, who currently holds the post of Joint Excise Commissioner. The FIR, lodged by Chhattisgarh’s Anti-Corruption Bureau and Economic Offence Wing (EOW), implicates seven individuals, including the IAS officer, for allegedly altering state liquor regulations to favor certain parties, thereby inflicting heavy losses on the state exchequer.
According to ED officials, today’s raids commenced early in the morning, with teams targeting residential and official premises associated with Chaubey and other key figures involved in the alleged scheme. Sources within the ED revealed that the agency has been monitoring Chaubey’s financial and administrative activities closely, especially given his history of influential roles, including his previous appointment as secretary to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
In addition to his role in the excise department, Chaubey has held high-profile posts, including his stint in urban development, before being transferred to Panchayati Raj following Soren’s resignation. This case marks Chaubey as the fifth IAS officer from Jharkhand currently under ED investigation, reflecting a broader probe into alleged systemic corruption within the state’s bureaucratic circles.
The Enforcement Directorate is scrutinizing substantial evidence linking Chaubey to unauthorized modifications in liquor laws, allegedly done in collaboration with other officials to facilitate revenue redirection away from government channels. ED officials indicated that these findings could lead to further legal action, including potential arrests, as the investigation proceeds.
As the probe deepens, the ED’s ongoing efforts highlight a growing crackdown on high-ranking officials engaged in economic offenses, signaling intensified scrutiny of bureaucratic conduct in Jharkhand and beyond.
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