THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
Ranchi, July 17: Gajendra Singh, one of the prime accused in the Jharkhand liquor scam case, has been granted bail by the special court of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Ranchi.
The order was passed on July 14 by Special Judge Yogesh Kumar Singh.
After spending nearly two months behind bars, Singh has now been released from jail, although the ACB’s investigation into the case is still ongoing.
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Court Finds Evidence Insufficient at This Stage
While approving his bail plea, the court observed that based on the case diary, there appears to be no direct or substantial evidence against Gajendra Singh that clearly establishes his involvement in the liquor scam at this stage.
The court noted that the evidence presented so far was not sufficient to prove his role in the case.
ACB Prosecutor Opposes Bail, But Court Unconvinced
During the bail hearing, the ACB’s special public prosecutor strongly opposed the plea, arguing that Singh played a significant role in the scam, which caused heavy financial losses to the state government. However, the court rejected these arguments and granted bail.
Strict Conditions Imposed Along With Bail
The bail was granted with strict conditions. The court required Singh to furnish two personal bonds of ₹20,000 each.
He has been directed to cooperate fully with the investigation, participate in any questioning by the ACB, and refrain from changing his residential address or mobile number.
Additionally, he has been barred from leaving the country without prior permission from the court.
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Singh Among Several High-Profile Arrests in Scam
Gajendra Singh was arrested by the ACB on May 20 and has remained in custody since then. He is currently under suspension.
So far, several individuals have been arrested in connection with the liquor scam case. These include IAS officer Vinay Kumar Choubey, Joint Commissioner of Excise Gajendra Singh (now out on bail), JSBCL’s finance general manager Sudhir Kumar Das, former general manager Sudhir Kumar, local representative of a placement agency Neeraj Kumar Singh, former Excise Commissioner Amit Prakash, Chhattisgarh-based liquor trader Siddharth Singhania, MD of Prism Holography Vidhu Gupta, and Atul Kumar Singh and Mukesh Manchanda of Om Sai Beverages.
