Lagatar24 Desk
Ranchi: The Jharkhand government’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has intensified its crackdown on major corruption cases, leading to the arrest of 17 individuals, including senior IAS officers, in liquor and land scam investigations. More arrests are expected in the coming days as probes continue into high-value cases involving illegal land transfers and revenue losses to the state.
Liquor Scam Causes ₹38 Crore Loss to State
The ACB has arrested 14 people so far, including IAS officer Vinay Kumar Chaubey, in connection with the state’s liquor scam. Chaubey and others are accused of bypassing regulations while selecting placement agencies for liquor sales, causing an estimated ₹38 crore loss to the state exchequer. Several of the accused have been granted bail.
Key arrests include former excise officials, placement agency representatives, businessmen from Chhattisgarh, and directors of companies such as Prism Holography, Sumit Facilities, Om Sai, and Vision Hospitality.
Trust Land Allocated to Private Individuals
A major land scam emerged in Hazaribagh involving 2.75 acres of khasmahal land leased to a trust in 1948. The lease expired in 1978 and was renewed until 2008. Between 2008 and 2010, officials allegedly conspired to declare the trust land as government property and allocated it illegally to 23 private individuals. Former Hazaribagh DC Vinay Kumar Chaubey and ex-IAS Vinod Chandra Jha have been arrested in this case.
Illegal Transfer of Protected Forest Land
The ACB has also exposed a scam involving deemed forest land in Hazaribagh — classified as protected by Supreme Court and High Court orders. The land was illegally transferred to Vinay Kumar Singh and his wife during Chaubey’s tenure as DC. So far, two arrests have been made: Vinay Kumar Singh, owner of Nexgen Automobiles, and Vijay Pratap Singh.
