Jharkhand Liquor Scam: ACB expands probe, secures warrant for Chhattisgarh businessman
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Ranchi, June 12: In a dramatic escalation of the Jharkhand liquor scam investigation, the state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB)…
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Ranchi, June 12: In a dramatic escalation of the Jharkhand liquor scam investigation, the state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has obtained an arrest warrant for prominent Chhattisgarh-based businessman Siddharth Singhania, marking the probe’s widening scope and deepening complexity.
The ACB acts after its earlier move to issue a warrant for Vinay Kumar Singh, a close aide of suspended IAS officer Vinay Kumar Choubey. Meanwhile, investigative threads from a similar, larger CBI‑confined liquor scandal in Chhattisgarh are surfacing, indicating coordination across state lines.
Warrant Issued After Sidestepping ACB Summons
The ACB has targeted Siddharth Singhania after he failed to appear for multiple questioning sessions related to Jharkhand’s illegal liquor trade. This follows an active manhunt and raids on potential hideouts of Vinay Kumar Singh—who similarly evaded arrest. Both men are linked in ACB records to efforts to “manage” obstructive officials, as revealed in seized diaries
Chhattisgarh‑Jharkhand Nexus: Diary and Strategy
Earlier raids by Chhattisgarh’s Anti-Corruption Bureau during its own liquor scam probe recovered a diary belonging to Singhania. The diary in detail outlines the syndicate’s blueprint to bypass obstacles and manipulate Jharkhand’s liquor distribution—suggesting that practices enabling rampant illicit sales in both states were orchestrated by the same syndicate.
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CBI’s Role in Chhattisgarh: Insight from Hologram Scandal
Crucially, contents from the Chhattisgarh investigation highlight the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)’s later involvement. In December 2024, the Chhattisgarh state government formally handed over the FL‑10 licensing scandal to the CBI, stating that the existing ACB and ED probe had uncovered a ₹2,200 crore racket fuelled by fake licensing and duplicate holograms. This CBI proxy offers vital leads for Jharkhand’s ACB, as similar hologram and commission-based tactics appear operant there.
Chhattisgarh CBI Findings: Scale and Modus Operandi
- ED complaints allege the Chhattisgarh scam generated over ₹2,161 crore in illicit funds between 2019 and 2023, through collusion between excise officers, politicians and private contractors
- Ex-officials like Arunpati Tripathi of the state excise department are among those arrested, underlining the syndicate’s deep bureaucratic infiltration
- Charges range from administering fake holograms to collecting commission from distilleries, with a cut diverted directly to political corridors.
Pressure Mounts in Jharkhand: ACB Intensifies Pursuit
Meanwhile, Jharkhand’s ACB has arrested five key suspects, including the suspended IAS officer Vinay Kumar Choubey (former Excise Principal Secretary), Joint Commissioner Gajendra Singh, and several finance officers linked to fictitious placement agencies—culminating in a ₹38 crore revenue loss.
Investigators are now scrutinising Chaubey’s assets, shell company investments, and intricate financial linkages to Vinay Singh’s firms to chart the syndicate’s network.
What’s Next? Scaled‑Up Investigations and Cross‑border Coordination
- Judicial Proceedings: More warrants are expected, including for absconding figures like Vinay Singh and Singhania.
- Forensic Asset Trace: ACB seeks to map Chaubey’s disproportionate assets and complex shell company dealings tied to the syndicate.
- CBI-Leveraged Evidence: Informal leads from the Chhattisgarh CBI inquiry are sharpening Jharkhand’s case. The shared modus operandi—fake holograms, commission kickbacks, bureaucratic protection—provides a playbook to dismantle the crime network.
Cross-border probe
What began as a state-level liquor investigation has rapidly evolved into a cross-border probe, entwining Jharkhand’s ACB and Chhattisgarh’s CBI inquiries. With powerful bureaucrats and business elites in its sights, the unfolding case could unearth one of the most audacious liquor racket conspiracies in recent memory.
