New Delhi, July 31, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Supreme Court on Friday granted conditional bail to suspended IAS officer Vinay Kumar Chaubey in the Hazaribagh land scam case, paving the way for his release after more than 13 months in custody.
A Bench comprising Justices Arvind Kumar and Vipul M. Pancholi allowed the bail plea while imposing several conditions. The court directed Chaubey not to leave the country without prior permission, cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation, and refrain from contacting or influencing witnesses connected with the case.
The apex court also said the Jharkhand government would be at liberty to seek cancellation of bail if any of the conditions were violated.
Chaubey had approached the Supreme Court after the Jharkhand High Court rejected his bail application.
During the hearing, his counsel submitted that Chaubey had remained in custody since November 2025 and pointed out that two co-accused, Vinay Singh and Snigdha Singh, had already been granted bail.
Opposing the plea, the state government argued that Chaubey, being a former senior bureaucrat, could influence witnesses if released.
The case relates to alleged irregularities during Chaubey’s tenure as Deputy Commissioner of Hazaribagh. According to an FIR registered by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), official records of forest and Khas Mahal land were allegedly manipulated to alter the nature of the properties before they were transferred to private individuals using forged documents.
The ACB has named 73 accused in the case and is investigating alleged illegal land transfers, financial transactions and tampering of government records.
Chaubey is also facing investigation in the Jharkhand liquor scam. Although he recently secured bail in that case after the charge sheet was not filed within the stipulated period, he continued to remain in judicial custody due to the Hazaribagh land scam case.
A senior IAS officer, Chaubey has previously served as Secretary of the Excise Department and Secretary to the Chief Minister in the Jharkhand government.
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