Ranchi: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has intensified its investigation into the multi-crore Jharkhand liquor scam, issuing notices to seven individuals associated with two private companies based in Maharashtra and Gujarat.
On Tuesday, the ACB summoned Bipin Jadavbhai Parmar, Mahesh Shedge, Paresh Abhaysinh Thakor, and Bikramsinh Abhisinh Thakor—all connected to Gujarat-based Vision Hospitality Service and Consultant—for questioning.
In addition, notices under Section 41A of the CrPC were served to Jagan Tukaram Desai, Kamal Jagan Desai, and Sheetal Jagan Desai, who are affiliated with Marshan Innovative Security Services Pvt. Ltd., a Maharashtra-based firm.
This move comes a day after the ACB summoned five others—Dhananjay Kumar, Umashankar Singh, Shipij Trivedi, Vinay Kumar Singh, and Upendra Sharma—for questioning in connection with the same scam.
Valued at ₹33.44 crore, the scam has already resulted in the arrest of five individuals. On the night of May 22, the ACB arrested Sudhir Kumar (Regional Director, RIADA Ranchi and former GM of Operations & Finance at JSBCL), Sudhir Kumar Das (current GM, Finance at JSBCL), and Neeraj Kumar Singh, a representative of Marshan.
Earlier, on May 20, IAS officer Vinay Choubey and Gajendra Singh were taken into custody. All five have been remanded to judicial custody until June 3 after being presented before the ACB special court.
The roots of the scam trace back to late 2021, when liquor traders began discussing a new policy to be implemented in Jharkhand for the fiscal year 2022–23. It was widely believed that a syndicate from Chhattisgarh would influence the development of this new framework.
To facilitate this transition, the Jharkhand Excise Department appointed Chhattisgarh State Marketing Corporation Limited (CSML) as a consultant, with a sanctioned fee of ₹1.25 crore paid to Arunapati Tripathi for policy drafting.
The proposed policy was forwarded to the Revenue Board for approval, where Amarendra Prasad Singh, then a board member, raised objections. He recommended amendments and questioned the capabilities of the consulting firm, noting its underperformance in improving liquor revenues in Chhattisgarh.
Meanwhile, all individuals summoned by the ACB are also under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The ED had earlier summoned Dhananjay Kumar, Umashankar Singh, Shipij Trivedi, Vinay Kumar Singh, and Upendra Kumar as part of its ongoing corruption probe.
The ED registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR No. ECIR/RNZO/20/2024) on October 14, 2024. Subsequently, on October 29, 2024, the agency conducted raids at several locations, including the residence of IAS officer Vinay Choubey. Others targeted included Gajendra Singh, Shipij Trivedi, Upendra Sharma, Dhananjay Kumar, Umashankar Singh, Ashish Rathore, and N. Uday Kumar.
Among those arrested on May 20 under the ACB’s FIR were Vinay Choubey, former Secretary of the Excise Department, and Gajendra Singh, Joint Commissioner of the same department. Both had already been under the ED’s radar prior to their arrests. The five recently summoned by the ACB are also being probed by the ED for their alleged involvement in the scam.
Dhananjay Kumar is a chartered accountant, while Umashankar Singh is linked to a liquor company named ShriLab. During interrogation by the ED, Singh reportedly confessed to raising business capital through a firm called M/s Top Securities. The liquor distribution company he is associated with is believed to have ties to the Chhattisgarh liquor syndicate. One individual from this network is reportedly referred to among local traders as “Mama Ji.”
During earlier ED raids, a gold bar worth over ₹20 lakh was seized from Shipij Trivedi’s premises. Vinay Kumar Singh is believed to be involved in the automobile trade, while Upendra Sharma, also a chartered accountant, manages the income tax filings of Vinay Choubey and three other firms.
The parallel investigations by both central and state agencies point to an expanding probe into what is emerging as a major scam, involving high-ranking officials, private companies, and a well-connected cross-state liquor syndicate.