Jharkhand IAS officer arrested in excise scam

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday arrested senior Jharkhand IAS officer Vinay Kumar Choubey in a money-laundering case linked to the alleged excise scam in the state, an official said.

Choubey was taken to Birsa Munda Central Jail at Hotwar here after a special court remanded him in judicial custody till June 3.

He was arrested after hours of interrogation by the ACB, which has been inquiring into the allegation of irregularities in excise policy during his tenure as the Secretary, Excise Department.

The department's Joint Commissioner, Gajendra Singh, was also arrested and sent to jail in the same case.

Choubey, a 1999-batch IAS officer, has held several key posts, including secretary to the CM. He is currently posted as the Principal Secretary, Department of Panchayati Raj.

Meanwhile, the Jharkhand Government in a statement issued in the evening said Choubey caused Rs 38-crore loss to the state exchequer by “indulging in fraud, conniving with criminals and misusing his post”.