Jharkhand: Suspended IAS Officer Vinay Chaubey’s Bail Plea Rejected in Land Scam Case

Ranchi: A special Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court in Hazaribagh on Tuesday rejected the bail plea of suspended IAS officer Vinay Kumar Chaubey, who is facing trial in a multi-crore land scam case.

Chaubey, a 1999-batch IAS officer of the Jharkhand cadre, is already an accused in the state’s liquor scam. He was arrested on May 20 this year after hours of interrogation but later secured bail on August 19 when the ACB failed to file a chargesheet within the stipulated time.

With the latest order, however, Chaubey will remain in judicial custody at Birsa Munda Central Jail, Ranchi.

The Hazaribagh land scam dates back to his tenure as Deputy Commissioner between 2008 and 2010. As per the ACB probe, 2.75 acres of Khas Mahal land—originally leased to Sevayat Trust in 1948 for 30 years—was illegally transferred to 23 individuals after the lease expired in 1978. Investigators allege this was made possible through an “administrative conspiracy” during Chaubey’s tenure, with his role found to be “suspicious.”

An FIR (Case No. 9/2025) was registered by the ACB last month, naming Chaubey as one of the key accused.

On September 12, the Hazaribagh court reserved its order after hearing arguments from both sides. Advocate Shankar represented Chaubey, while Special Public Prosecutor Abhishek Krishna Gupta appeared for the ACB.

Chaubey has previously held several senior posts in Jharkhand, including Secretary to Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Secretary of the Excise Department. He was suspended earlier this year following his arrest in the liquor scam.

The fresh setback in the land scam case has deepened his legal troubles, as the ACB continues investigations into both scams that have shaken the state bureaucracy.

With inputs from IANS