SC grants conditional bail to IAS officer Chaubey in land scam

The Supreme Court on Friday granted conditional bail to suspended IAS officer Vinay Kumar Chaubey in the Hazaribagh land scam case, ordering his release after over 13 months in custody. The bench of Justices Arvind Kumar and Vipul M. Pancholi directed Chaubey not to leave the country without permission, cooperate with the investigation, and avoid influencing witnesses. The court said the state government may approach the competent court for cancellation if any condition is violated.

Chaubey had moved the top court after the Jharkhand High Court rejected his bail. His counsel argued that co-accused Vinay Singh and his wife had already been granted bail. The state opposed the plea, saying that as a former senior bureaucrat Chaubey could influence witnesses. The Hazaribagh land scam allegedly involved manipulation of forest and Khas Mahal land records using forged documents to transfer properties to private individuals. The Anti-Corruption Bureau has named 73 accused, including Chaubey.

Chaubey is also an accused in the Jharkhand liquor scam and was arrested in May 2025. He recently secured bail in that case after the charge sheet was not filed within 92 days, but remained in jail due to the separate land scam FIR. The court's order now paves the way for his release subject to the conditions imposed.