Why ED raided premises linked to Jharkhand IAS officer Vinay Kumar Choubey

The action was taken after registering a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at the Jharkhand office of the federal probe agency.

Published on: Oct 29, 2024, 11:26:09 IST

By HT News Desk

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The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday raided premises linked to IAS officer Vinay Kumar Choubey, other government officers and several liquor businessmen in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh in connection with an alleged excise scam. The agency is searching at least 15 premises in Ranchi and Raipur.

Vinay Kumar Choubey was the principal secretary to Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren and the excise secretary of the state during the implementation of the 2022 excise policy. (Representational)

The action was taken after registering a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at the Jharkhand office of the federal probe agency.

Jharkhand is currently gearing up for voting in the assembly elections.

What is the case about?

The Enforcement Directorate took note of an FIR filed by the Chhattisgarh police anti-corruption bureau (ACB) at Raipur which named Choubey, retired Chhattisgarh IAS officer Anil Tuteja, Anwar Dhebar, the elder brother of Raipur Mayor Aijaz Dhebar, Arunpati Tripathi, an Indian Telecom Service (ITS) officer and special secretary of the Chhattisgarh excise department, and four others, reported PTI.

The premises linked to 1999-batch Jharkhand cadre IAS officer Choubey, joint secretary of the excise department of the state, Gajendra Singh, and liquor traders are being raided.

Vinay Kumar Choubey was the principal secretary to Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren and the excise secretary of the state during the implementation of the 2022 excise policy.

Also read: Jharkhand govt puts on hold physical test for excise recruitment for 3 days after aspirants’ deaths

The police claimed in the FIR that Jharkhand liquor policy 2022 illegally benefited liquor syndicates, causing a loss to the Jharkhand government's exchequer.

It also claimed officials in Chhattisgarh assisted in framing a similar policy in Jharkhand as they had created in their state.

Also read: Jharkhand assembly elections: Voting to be held in 2 phases starting Nov 13, results on Nov 23

It claimed that the illegal trade in Jharkhand ran under the tutelage and protection of Choubey and Gajendra Singh.

The ED arrested Tuteja, Dhebar, Tripathi and some others in the Chhattisgarh liquor "scam" linked money laundering case.

With inputs from PTI

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HT News Desk
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