Jharkhand: New ACB Case Filed Against Jailed IAS Vinay Chaubey, Seven Family Members Named

Ranchi: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has filed a fresh case against suspended IAS officer Vinay Kumar Chaubey, who is currently in jail, along with seven of his family members, for possession of assets disproportionate to their known sources of income.

The new FIR names Chaubey, his wife Swapna Sanchita, father-in-law Satyendranath Trivedi, brother-in-law Shipij Trivedi, sister-in-law Priyanka Trivedi, close associate and NexGen director Vinay Kumar Singh, and Singh’s wife Snigdha Singh as accused.

Background of Investigation
Following Chaubey’s arrest earlier, the ACB had initiated a preliminary inquiry in May. After six months of investigation, the accused have been charged under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PC Act) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Disproportionate Assets
The ACB probe examined Chaubey’s income and expenditures over his entire service period. While his legitimate earnings totaled ₹2.20 crore, the accounts under his control reflected ₹3.47 crore, representing 53% more than his lawful income.

The investigation revealed that Chaubey spent barely a third of his income, maintaining minimal household expenses. ACB found that he invested illicit earnings through his associate Vinay Singh’s companies and subsequently transferred funds from Singh back into his wife’s account.

Two-Day Remand for Further Interrogation
Following the FIR, Vinay Chaubey was taken on a two-day remand by the ACB. He is already in jail for the Hazaribagh forest land and Khasmahal land scam. On Monday evening, ACB officers transferred him from Hazaribagh Jail to Ranchi to begin questioning in the disproportionate assets case.