Team News Riveting
Raipur, April 22
The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and Jharkhand Excise Department Secretary Vinay Kumar Choubey on Saturday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at its Raipur office in connection with the liquor scam.
Though neither the ED officials nor Choubey could be contacted, sources said two officers from Jharkhand reported at the Sub Zonal office of the ED at Raipur on Saturday. Besides Choubey, Excise Commissioner of Jharkhand Karan Satyarthi is learnt to have turned up at the central agency office.
The ED had served notices to the two Jharkhand officers for interrogation in connection with the liquor scam in Chhattisgarh. The action came days after the agency grilled two officials, an IAS and Chhattisgarh State Managing Director of Marketing Corporation Limited (CSMCL) Arun Pati Tripathi.
Despite serving notices, the two Chhattisgarh officials failed to report before the ED, propelling the latter to send a letter to the Chief Secretary Amitabh Jain to serve the summons and ask the officers to appear. The IAS officer had sought time and had gone on leave till April 28. Tripathi is also reported to be on leave.
During interrogation earlier, the ED officials had received some vital tips about the Jharkhand connection in the Chhattisgarh liquor scam. The Jharkhand government led by CM Hemant Soren, who holds the charge of the Excise Department, had adopted and implemented a new excise policy that drew flaws from the opposition.
Choubey and Satyarthi, who played key roles in the implementation of new policy, appeared before the ED office in Raipur at 11 am on Saturday. Sources said both were interrogated for over nine hours before they walked out at around 8 pm.
