Ranchi: Suspended IAS officer Vinay Kumar Choubey has moved the Jharkhand High Court seeking bail in connection with a high-profile corruption case involving the illegal conversion of government land.
The bail application was filed on Thursday and comes days after a lower court in Hazaribag dismissed Choubey’s initial bail plea on September 16. His legal team has now challenged that order in the high court.
Read also: Khasmahal Land Scam: Senior Jharkhand IAS Officer Remains in Jail as ACB Court Rejects Bail
Case Background
Choubey, a senior IAS officer of the Jharkhand cadre, is currently under suspension following his alleged involvement in the unauthorized conversion and transfer of government land for private benefit. The case is being probed by state vigilance and anti-corruption agencies.
Sources said that the case relates to the misuse of official authority to alter land ownership records in favor of private individuals, causing significant loss to the exchequer. The irregularities allegedly occurred during his tenure in a senior administrative position.
Next Legal Steps
While the exact date for hearing Choubey’s petition is yet to be confirmed, the matter is expected to be listed before a single-judge bench of the Jharkhand High Court in the coming days.
Choubey has denied the charges, calling them “baseless and politically motivated.” His bail plea before the Hazaribag district court was rejected on grounds of seriousness of the charges and possibility of tampering with evidence.
The Jharkhand government suspended Choubey earlier this year after preliminary findings pointed to his direct involvement in the land scam. Several other government officials and private individuals are also under the scanner in the same case.
Read also: Suspended IAS Vinay Kumar Choubey Gets Bail in Liquor Scam Case, Remains in Jail Over Land Probe
