Ranchi: Leader of the Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly, Babulal Marandi, has approached the Jharkhand High Court by filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged liquor scam in the state.
In his petition, Marandi argued that the investigation has remained incomplete for an extended period and that no chargesheet has been filed so far, making an independent CBI inquiry necessary.
The PIL states that the names of several influential individuals, including suspended IAS officer Vinay Chaubey, have surfaced during the investigation. It notes that the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) registered an FIR in the case in 2025 and arrested multiple accused. However, since the chargesheet was not filed within the prescribed time, all the accused were granted default bail.
According to the petition, nearly 14 months have passed since the FIR was registered, but the investigation has made little progress. It alleges that the probe has moved at an unusually slow pace and that no formal charges have yet been placed before the court.
Marandi also informed the High Court that Jharkhand introduced a new excise policy in 2022, modelled on the liquor policy implemented in Chhattisgarh. The petition alleges that contracts were awarded to two placement agencies on the basis of forged bank guarantees and claims that the role of several private companies associated with the liquor trade also requires investigation.
The PIL further calls for a detailed inquiry into the company responsible for manufacturing liquor holograms, the agency that supplied manpower, and the firm awarded the wholesale liquor distribution contract.
Through the petition, Marandi has urged the High Court to transfer the entire investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation for an independent and comprehensive probe.
Earlier, on March 31, Marandi had met Santosh Kumar Gangwar and submitted a memorandum seeking a CBI investigation, alleging serious irregularities in the manner in which the Anti-Corruption Bureau handled the case.
With inputs from IANS