ED raids in 15 locations linked to IAS officer in liquor scam case in Chhattisgarh

Chaubey, who previously served as secretary to Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, also held the post of secretary in the excise and urban development departments.
ED raids in 15 locations linked to IAS officer in liquor scam case in Chhattisgarh
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RANCHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided at least 15 premises linked to IAS officer Vinay Kumar Choubey, joint excise commissioner Gajendra Singh and a number of liquor businessmen as part of a money laundering investigation into an alleged excise scam in poll-bound Jharkhand.

Officials said the searches are being undertaken at the premises in Ranchi and Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh, after a criminal case was recently registered by the Jharkhand zonal office of the federal probe agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED took cognisance of a September 7 FIR filed by the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) and the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Chhattisgarh police at Raipur against seven people, including Chaubey, for allegedly causing a huge loss to the exchequer and altering the state’s liquor policy. Vikas Kumar of Ranchi had lodged a complaint with ED following which the FIR was lodged in Raipur.

It was stated in the application that the entire conspiracy of the liquor scam was hatched in Raipur by making changes in the excise policy. The ED conducted the raids after the Supreme Court rejected Gajendra Singh’s petition to quash the FIR.

Chaubey, who previously served as secretary to Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, also held the post of secretary in the excise and urban development departments.

Choubey, however, was shunted to the panchayati raj department after Soren resigned following his arrest in the land scam. The ED has already interrogated both the officers in the context of their alleged involvement in the liquor scam. The central agency had conducted raids at 32 locations in Ranchi, Deoghar, Dumka and Kolkata on August 23, 2023.

The ED had also searched the premises of state finance minister Rameshwar Oraon, his son Rohit Oraon, liquor businessman Yogendra Tiwari and 32 others. Yogendra was arrested after the raids.

Plan hatched in Raipur

It was stated in the application that the entire conspiracy of the liquor scam was hatched in Raipur by making changes in the excise policy. The ED conducted the raids after the Supreme Court rejected Gajendra Singh’s petition to quash the FIR. Chaubey, who previously served as secretary to Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, also held the post of secretary in the excise and urban development departments

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