IAS Officer's Legal Battle: Corruption Charges Shock Jharkhand

IAS Officer Vinay Choubey has filed a petition with the Jharkhand High Court, contesting his recent apprehension by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in a case involving alleged money laundering linked to an excise scam.

Choubey, a senior officer from the 1999 batch, was detained on May 20 and is accused of contributing to a Rs 38-crore deficit in the state's finances through corrupt activities. He maintains his innocence, asserting a lack of evidence in his petition for dropping the charges.

His arrest followed an extensive inquiry by the ACB into alleged misconduct during his tenure as the excise department secretary. Political reactions have been swift, with the BJP demanding a CBI probe, dismissing the current ACB investigation as inadequate.

(With inputs from agencies.)