Suspended IAS officer Vinay Choubey on Thursday approached the Jharkhand High Court seeking bail in a corruption case linked to the alleged illegal conversion of government land during his tenure as deputy commissioner of Hazaribag.
Choubey’s plea comes after a Hazaribag court on September 16 rejected his bail application in the case. His counsel has now challenged that order before the high court, though the date for hearing is yet to be fixed.
According to the prosecution, Choubey is accused of illegally converting 2.75 acres of ‘Khasmahal’ land, meant to remain under government control, and reallocating it to private individuals. The case is being probed by the state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).
Earlier, on August 19, Choubey had secured bail in a separate case relating to the Rs 38-crore liquor scam after the ACB failed to file a chargesheet within the stipulated time. He was arrested on May 20 in connection with that case and subsequently suspended by the Jharkhand government.
Choubey, who has been in custody since May, is presently undergoing treatment at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi, his lawyer informed the court.
The suspended IAS officer faces multiple charges linked to both the land conversion and the liquor scam, with the latest bail plea now pending before the Jharkhand High Court.
