Senior suspended IAS officer Mr. Vinay Kumar Choubey (1999-batch, Jharkhand cadre) and former Excise Commissioner Mr. Gajendra Singh were remanded to judicial custody on Saturday in connection with the Jharkhand liquor scam, after their Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) remand expired. The two officers were produced before the Special ACB Court, which ordered their transfer to Birsa Munda Central Jail.
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The ACB had earlier obtained a two-day custodial remand for Mr. Choubey, but due to his reported ill health, only one day of questioning could be conducted. During the interrogation, he allegedly avoided crucial questions by citing his medical condition. Investigators sought clarity on issues such as the selection of placement agencies, procedural lapses in verifying bank guarantees, and his role as Excise Secretary. Mr. Choubey is believed to have denied any direct involvement in the irregularities under probe.
Mr. Gajendra Singh, who had also served as Joint Excise Commissioner, was interrogated for two days and reportedly distanced himself from key decisions. He claimed that the operations of the Jharkhand State Beverages Corporation Limited (JSBCL) did not fall within his administrative control. According to sources, he denied any substantive link to the financial and operational matters being scrutinized.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Mr. Babulal Marandi intensified his criticism of the government’s handling of the case. Through social media posts, he raised eight pointed questions to Mr. Choubey, including queries about a purported letter addressed to the Chief Minister prior to the surfacing of the Chhattisgarh-linked liquor scandal. He also questioned the alleged role of the Chief Minister’s Office in awarding contracts to firms such as Martian Securities and mVision Hospitality.
Mr. Marandi further referred to a high-level team from Jharkhand that had visited Chhattisgarh to study its liquor distribution model. He claimed that the team returned within 24 hours — even on a public holiday — with a predetermined recommendation, suggesting procedural manipulation and premeditated decisions. “If the ACB truly intends to uncover the full contours of this scam, it must examine the conduct, mandate, and affiliations of the Raipur-bound committee,” he stated.
Reiterating his demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe, Mr. Marandi argued that only an independent agency could conduct a fair investigation. He questioned the ability of the state-controlled ACB to impartially scrutinize senior bureaucrats and political figures and urged Chief Minister Mr. Hemant Soren to recommend a CBI inquiry to ensure transparency and accountability.
