Jharkhand IAS officer Vinay Kumar Choubey arrested in liquor scam

Senior IAS officer Vinay Kumar Choubey arrested by ACB for alleged involvement in Jharkhand’s 2022 liquor policy scam. Read more on Dynamite News

New Delhi: First Pooja Singhal, then Chhabi Ranjan, and now another IAS officer in the clutches of investigating agencies!

We are talking about senior Jharkhand IAS officer Vinay Kumar Choubey, who has been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for alleged involvement in the liquor scam, reports Dynamite News correspondent.

Currently he is the principal secretary of the Panchayati Raj Department and was also the secretary of the Excise Department before this. This matter is related to the new liquor policy of Jharkhand implemented in the year 2022. It is alleged that some such changes were made in this policy, which benefited the liquor syndicate of Chhattisgarh.

Officials and traders of Chhattisgarh together started gaining control over the supply of liquor, hologram system, and other arrangements in Jharkhand. This caused huge financial loss to the state government, and allegedly illegal earnings were made.

IAS Vinay Kumar Choubey (JH:1999) arrested by Jharkhand ACB in liquor scam. Accused of aiding a Chhattisgarh liquor syndicate via 2022 policy tweaks, causing massive exchequer losses. Held top posts including Excise Secy and CM’s Principal Secretary. #Corruption #IAS #Jharkhand pic.twitter.com/xFH69kAxqD

— Dynamite News (@DynamiteNews_) May 20, 2025

 

In this scam, the ACB of Chhattisgarh has registered an FIR, which includes the names of Vinay Kumar Choubey and some other officers. After this, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided several places under charges of money laundering and seized documents.

Now the Chhattisgarh ACB has sought prosecution approval from the Jharkhand government to prosecute Vinay Kumar Chaubey and another officer of the Excise Department, Gajendra Singh.

According to sources, the ACB team raided Vinay Chaubey's residence in Ranchi early in the morning and took him to their office for questioning. It is being told that much important information and many documents related to this big liquor scam that took place during his tenure have come to the fore in the investigation.

After interrogation, Vinay Chaubey was brought to the ACB office, where his arrest was confirmed. This development is creating a stir not only in the state administration but also in the political corridors. All eyes are now on the revelations to be made further.

It is worth noting that the investigation of this liquor scam is already going on in Chhattisgarh, and according to the ED report, the same liquor syndicate had also influenced the formulation and implementation of the Excise Policy of Jharkhand.

When this policy was implemented, Vinay Kumar Chaubey was the excise secretary at that time. During interrogation, Chaubey denied any wrongdoing and said that this policy was made with the approval of the state government.

Now the ACB is preparing to present him in court and take him on remand.