ED Cracks Down on Alleged Jharkhand Liquor Scam Involving IAS Officer

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) executed raids targeting IAS officer Vinay Chaubey and others in Ranchi, Jharkhand, linked to a suspected liquor scam. This action follows a related FIR under Chhattisgarh's corruption investigations into allegedly altered liquor policies causing financial losses.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched a high-profile raid on Tuesday targeting IAS officer Vinay Chaubey, who previously served as the Excise Department Secretary, and additional suspects. This enforcement action is in relation to an alleged liquor scam case surfacing from Jharkhand's Ranchi region.

The operation stems from a First Information Report (FIR) tied to a similar case in Chhattisgarh. Back in September, a hefty investigation by Chhattisgarh's Anti-Corruption Bureau and Economic Offence Wing (EOW) unraveled a syndicate believed to include Chaubey among others, accusing them of inflicting financial damage on the exchequer by manipulating the state's liquor policy.

Earlier efforts from the Directorate of Enforcement in Raipur led to the arrest of two individuals in August, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), as part of their broader examination of the Chhattisgarh liquor scam. The ED's ongoing probe, grounded in an FIR by the anti-corruption authorities of Chhattisgarh, highlights varied instances of corruption woven into the liquor scam spanning from 2019 to 2022.

(With inputs from agencies.)