Ranchi – In a major breakthrough in the Jharkhand liquor scam, Chhattisgarh businessman Siddharth Singhania was arrested on Thursday by the Jharkhand Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) near Raipur.
The arrest followed a series of summonses that Singhania had ignored. A warrant for his arrest had already been issued by a special court in Ranchi on June 12. After being detained, he was produced before a local court in Chhattisgarh and is now set to be brought to Ranchi on a transit remand.
The ACB discovered a crucial diary during an earlier raid at Singhania’s residence, which reportedly exposed the inner workings of a liquor syndicate operating in Jharkhand. The document allegedly outlined strategies for managing the liquor trade and neutralising opposition within the state.
Investigators have so far uncovered a scam worth ₹38 crore. Sixteen people, including high-ranking officials and business figures, are under the scanner. Seven arrests have already been made, including those of senior IAS officers and state administrative service officials.
Arrest warrants were also secured this week for seven others from Gujarat and Maharashtra, along with a warrant against Ranchi-based businessman Vinay Kumar Singh.
The widening investigation is exposing a deep network of corruption involving government officials, private sector players, and liquor trade operators.
With inputs from IANS