The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has intensified its investigation into the multi-crore liquor distribution scam in Jharkhand, issuing summons to 15 individuals, including senior government officials and directors of private placement agencies. The scope of the probe, which until recently was largely confined within the state, has now extended to Delhi, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh.
Among those summoned are Manoj Kumar, the current Secretary of the Excise Department, and Amit Prakash, the recently retired Excise Commissioner. Both have been directed to appear before the agency beginning 8 June for questioning. Sources within the ACB confirmed that the summonses have been formally issued and acknowledged.
The investigation so far has already led to the arrest of former Excise Secretary Vinay Kumar Choubey, Joint Excise Commissioner Gajendra Singh, and two former General Managers (Finance) of the Jharkhand State Beverage Corporation Limited (JSBCL), Sudhir Kumar and Sudhir Kumar Das. Notices had previously been served to directors of Vision Hospitality Services and M/s Marson Innovative Security Services, who are scheduled to be questioned on 3 and 4 June.
In a significant development, the ACB has now summoned key personnel from A to Z Infra Services Pvt Ltd, a Gurugram-based manpower agency that operated in Dhanbad, Seraikela-Kharsawan, and West Singhbhum districts. Those named in the notice include CEO Amit Indrasen Mittal, directors Dipali Mittal, Manoj Tiwari, Arun Gaur, Ritu Goyal, Parmatma Singh Rathore, and chairperson Pratima Khanna.
Further notices have been sent to directors of Eagle Hunters Solutions Pvt Ltd, including Daksh Lohia, Saroj Lohia, Maharaj Singh, and Executive Director Brih Harry Sandhu. In addition, the directors of Prime One Workforce Pvt Ltd. based in Bhopal—Sanjeev Jain and Rajeev Dwivedi—have also been summoned.
Investigators are focusing on alleged irregularities in the awarding of manpower contracts for government-run liquor shops, discrepancies in billing, and the possible diversion of state funds through forged or inflated staffing invoices. The involvement of firms based outside Jharkhand suggests a broader network of collusion between bureaucrats and private entities.
Officials close to the probe have not ruled out further arrests in the coming weeks, depending on the information obtained during the interrogations. The agency is expected to examine financial records, contractual agreements, and correspondence between public officials and agency representatives to ascertain the depth of the alleged scam.
The case, one of the most complex corruption probes in the state’s recent history, has brought into question the procurement processes and outsourcing models adopted by public sector undertakings in Jharkhand. The widening of the investigation across multiple states underscores the seriousness of the irregularities and the possibility of a nationwide racket in the liquor supply chain.