Ranchi, July 31: The Supreme Court on Friday granted conditional bail to suspended Jharkhand IAS officer Vinay Kumar Chaubey in connection with the alleged Hazaribagh land scam, offering major relief to the former Deputy Commissioner who has been in judicial custody for more than a year.
A Bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan allowed Chaubey’s bail plea in a case related to the alleged illegal purchase and sale of forest and service land, as well as irregularities during his tenure as Deputy Commissioner of Hazaribagh.
Chaubey had approached the apex court after the Jharkhand High Court rejected his bail application on April 28. He was arrested in November 2025 in connection with the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s (ACB) investigation and has remained in judicial custody since then.
While granting bail, the Supreme Court directed Chaubey not to leave the country, refrain from influencing or contacting witnesses, and extend full cooperation to the investigating agency during the probe.
During the hearing, Chaubey’s counsel argued that several co-accused in the case had already been granted bail and contended that the allegations pertain to events dating back to 2009–10.
The case is being investigated by the Anti-Corruption Bureau under Case No. 11/2025. According to the investigation, the alleged irregularities involve the illegal purchase and sale of forest and service land during Chaubey’s tenure as Hazaribagh Deputy Commissioner.
The ACB case names 73 accused, including Vinay Singh, Snigdha Singh, Hazaribagh MLA Pradeep Prasad, former Circle Officer Shailesh Kumar and broker Vijay Singh, among others.
With the Supreme Court granting conditional bail, Chaubey’s release from jail is expected after he fulfils the conditions laid down by the court and completes the necessary legal formalities.
