ED steps into Jharkhand liquor scam probe, gets court nod to question accused

Ranchi - The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has now formally joined the investigation into the multi-crore Jharkhand liquor scam, expanding the scope of what is seen as one of the state’s biggest corruption cases in recent years.

Acting on an FIR lodged earlier by the Jharkhand Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), the ED has registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR No. 10/2025) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The special PMLA court in Ranchi has granted the agency permission to interrogate and record statements of the accused who were arrested by the ACB earlier this year.

The ACB filed its FIR in May after a preliminary probe revealed major irregularities in the state’s liquor supply and distribution system.

More than a dozen people, including several senior bureaucrats, have been named in the case. Those arrested earlier include IAS officer Vinay Kumar Chaubey, retired IAS officer Amit Prakash, Jharkhand Administrative Service officer Gajendra Singh, Chhattisgarh-based businessman Siddharth Singhania, and Vidhu Gupta, a private company director.

All accused were later granted bail as the ACB failed to file a chargesheet within the stipulated time frame. So far, four IAS officers have been questioned in connection with the scam.

Investigators found that the state government had awarded contracts for operating liquor shops and supplying manpower to seven placement agencies. The ACB discovered that these agencies had violated tender norms on a large scale, causing major revenue losses. Several bank guarantees submitted during the bidding process were later found to be fake.

An internal audit by the Jharkhand State Beverages Corporation Limited estimated a loss of ?129.55 crore to the state exchequer due to widespread fraud and manipulation.

With the ED now probing the money-laundering angle, officials expect the investigation to uncover a wider network of beneficiaries and financial links associated with the alleged scam.

With inputs from IANS