ED Raids Linked to IAS Officer Vinay Kumar Choubey in Alleged Liquor Scam

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted extensive raids on Tuesday at multiple locations connected to IAS officer Vinay Kumar Choubey and several other government officials, as well as liquor businessmen in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. This operation is part of an investigation into an alleged excise scam tied to the state’s controversial 2022 excise policy.

FIR Lodged against IAS officer

The ED’s action comes on the heels of a First Information Report (FIR) lodged by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Chhattisgarh on September 7. The FIR names Choubey, a 1999-batch IAS officer who previously served as the principal secretary to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and the state’s excise secretary during the policy’s rollout. Other notable figures mentioned include retired Chhattisgarh IAS officer Anil Tuteja and Arunpati Tripathi, a special secretary in the Chhattisgarh excise department.

The allegations center around claims that the 2022 excise policy in Jharkhand provided illegal advantages to liquor syndicates, resulting in substantial financial losses to the state government. The Chhattisgarh ACB has asserted that officials there played a pivotal role in shaping this policy, which mirrored practices already established in their own state.

Extensive Raids

The ED initiated searches at approximately 15 locations in Ranchi and Raipur, focusing on premises linked to Choubey, Gajendra Singh, a joint secretary in the Jharkhand excise department, and several liquor traders. The raids are part of a broader investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Officials have indicated that these operations aim to uncover the financial networks that facilitated the alleged illegal trade in liquor, purportedly operating under the protection of key government figures, including Choubey.

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