New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday granted conditional bail to suspended Jharkhand IAS officer Vinay Kumar Chaubey in the Hazaribagh land scam case, clearing the way for his release after spending more than 13 months in jail.
A Bench of Justices Arvind Kumar and Vipul M. Pancholi allowed the bail plea but laid down strict conditions. The court directed Chaubey not to leave the country without prior permission, cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation, and refrain from contacting or influencing any witness connected with the case.
The Bench also made it clear that if any of the bail conditions are violated, the Jharkhand government would be at liberty to seek cancellation of his bail before the appropriate court.
Chaubey had moved the apex court after the Jharkhand High Court turned down his request for bail. During the hearing, his counsel argued that he had been in judicial custody since November 2025 and pointed out that co-accused Vinay Singh and his wife, Snigdha Singh, had already been granted bail.
The state government opposed the plea, contending that Chaubey, given his senior administrative background, could potentially influence witnesses if released. After hearing both sides, the Supreme Court granted him bail subject to the prescribed conditions.
The case relates to alleged irregularities during Chaubey’s tenure as Deputy Commissioner of Hazaribagh. According to the FIR filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), official records concerning forest and Khas Mahal land were allegedly tampered with to change their classification, enabling the transfer of government land to private individuals using forged documents.
The ACB has named 73 people, including Chaubey, in the case and is investigating suspected financial transactions, land transfers, and alterations to official land records.
Chaubey is also facing charges in the Jharkhand liquor scam. He was arrested by the ACB in that case on May 20, 2025, after nearly six hours of questioning. Although he was recently granted bail by a special ACB court because the charge sheet was not filed within the statutory 92-day period, he continued to remain in custody due to the separate Hazaribagh land scam case.
A senior IAS officer, Chaubey has served in several prominent positions in the Jharkhand government, including Secretary of the Excise Department and Secretary to the Chief Minister. The ACB’s investigations into both the liquor scam and the land scam are still underway.
With inputs from IANS