Raipur/Ranchi: In Chhattisgarh’s liquor scam, a fresh FIR has been filed against Jharkhand IAS officer Vinay Kumar Chaubey and former Joint Commissioner of Excise Gajendra Singh. The Raipur Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) has booked both officials under fraud and criminal conspiracy laws, alleging corruption that led to significant financial losses for the exchequer.
Notably, IAS Vinay Kumar Chaubey previously served as secretary to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren also considered as one of the most powerful bureaucrat in the Jharkhand State.
Earlier, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has already interrogated both the officers in context of their alleged involvement in the liquor scam.
Political tensions have escalated in Jharkhand following the filing of the FIR. Former CM Babulal Marandi while interacting with the media, criticized the Soren administration in strong words and claimed that it is gearing up for another scam.
The FIR also has names of retired IAS Anil Tuteja, along with companies linked to liquor supply, manpower, and hologram manufacturing in Jharkhand, the sources said. The charges levelled against these accused officers include violations under sections 420 and 120B of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The complaint alleges that Tuteja, Anwar Dhebar, and others conspired to create illegal profits through the liquor business in Chhattisgarh. They reportedly collaborated with Chaubey and other excise officers to alter liquor sale regulations in January 2022, facilitating business operations in Jharkhand. Arunpati Tripathi, Managing Director of the Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation, was allegedly paid Rs 1.25 crore as a consultant in Jharkhand, while specific tender conditions were manipulated to benefit the syndicate.
The FIR highlights a significant revenue loss for Jharkhand during the 2022-23 fiscal year due to these conspiratorial actions. Investigators discovered a diary belonging to businessman Siddharth Singhania, detailing plans to monopolize the liquor business in Jharkhand similar to practices in Chhattisgarh, the sources claimed.
In response to the FIR, Babulal Marandi accused the Hemant Soren government, and said it is known for its involvement in scams, of planning another major liquor scam before the end of its term.
He asserted that the government aims to generate black money for upcoming elections by modifying liquor policies for the third consecutive time.
He alleged that the Soren government plans to distribute liquor across villages during the elections, seeking to amass significant illicit funds by outsourcing liquor shop contracts to outside entities.
Meanwhile, BJP’s Chhattisgarh unit also released a poster on FB on Friday and said, FIR lodged against 7 people including top bureaucrats of Jharkhand Government in the liquor scam.
Ranjit Kumar, a senior journalist from Ranchi, commented on the increasing corruption and involvement of top bureaucrats in liquor scam, termed the incident unfortunate and such cases shatter the faith of public in government run systems. Senior secretary level IAS officers getting involved in the liquor scam is very shameful, where do the common people go for justice.
ED Investigation
The ED is currently investigating the Chhattisgarh liquor scam, while the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is also examining the FIR. Initial findings suggest that from 2019 to 2022, illegal liquor sales occurred in government shops using counterfeit holograms, resulting in substantial revenue losses for the state.
