Ranchi: The Rs 100-crore liquor scam in Jharkhand appears to be linked with a similar racket in neighbouring Chhattisgarh, with central agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) likely to expand their probe into the matter.
On Tuesday, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Jharkhand arrested senior IAS officer and former Excise Secretary Vinay Chaubey and Joint Excise Commissioner Gajendra Singh in connection with the Jharkhand liquor scam.
Both officers have already been named as accused in the Chhattisgarh liquor scam. The ED has been investigating the Chhattisgarh case since last year, and earlier this month, the state government recommended a CBI probe.
Sources suggest that, given the close links between the two scams, both central agencies are now expected to enter the Jharkhand investigation as well.
The connection dates back to 2022, when Jharkhand implemented a new liquor policy modelled on Chhattisgarh’s framework. To roll it out, Jharkhand signed an agreement with the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL) for consultancy services.
Investigations have revealed that irregularities began from this point.
Chaubey and Singh played key roles in shaping and implementing the new policy in Jharkhand. A complaint filed by Ranchi resident Vikas Singh led to an FIR in Chhattisgarh’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) last year, naming seven individuals, including Chaubey and Singh.
The FIR alleges that a Chhattisgarh-based liquor syndicate, in collusion with Jharkhand officials, manipulated the excise policy to favour certain contractors. The syndicate reportedly sold country liquor using fake holograms and illegally supplied foreign liquor to selected firms, resulting in massive unaccounted profits.
It further claims that tender rules were tweaked under the direction of senior officials, including Chaubey and Singh, to ensure that only members of the syndicate could qualify. This led to a major financial loss to the Jharkhand government between 2022 and 2023.
Other accused in the case include former Chhattisgarh IAS officer Anil Tuteja, businessman Anwar Dhebar, former CSMCL MD Arun Pati Tripathi, former Chhattisgarh Excise Commissioner Niranjan Das, Arvind Singh, and Noida-based businessman Vidhu Gupta.
Following the Chhattisgarh FIR, the ED registered an ECIR and initiated its own probe. In October 2024, the agency conducted raids on the residences of Chaubey and Singh in Jharkhand, seizing iPhones and several digital devices as evidence.
The case took a fresh turn when the Jharkhand ACB, with state government approval, began a preliminary inquiry.
On Tuesday, the ACB interrogated Chaubey and Singh for over six hours. Upon establishing their involvement, the bureau filed an FIR, arrested both officers, and sent them to judicial custody.
(IANS)
