IAS Vinay Choubey gets default bail as ACB fails to file charge sheet

IAS officer Vinay Kumar Choubey, arrested in the alleged liquor scam, has been granted default bail by the anti corruption bureau (ACB) court under Section 187(2) of the BNSS.

The relief came after the ACB failed to submit its charge sheet within the stipulated 90-day period, even though 92 days had passed since his arrest.

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Choubey’s counsel, Devesh Ajmani, said the default bail petition was filed on the ground that the charge sheet was not filed on time, and the court accepted it. The court directed that Choubey cannot leave Jharkhand without prior permission, must not change his mobile number during the trial, and must furnish two personal bonds of Rs 25,000 each.

Choubey was arrested on May 20 after being summoned for questioning by the ACB and was subsequently suspended by the state government. The case against him includes charges under IPC sections 467 and 409, among others.

Reacting to the development, BJP state president and Leader of Opposition Babulal Marandi accused the Hemant Soren government of deliberately facilitating bail by not ensuring that the ACB filed the chargesheet on time. He alleged that the arrest itself was a “drama” staged to influence the Enforcement Directorate’s probe and destroy evidence.

Marandi urged the ED to take strict and lawful action against those involved in what he described as a scam worth nearly Rs 1,000 crore.