Ranchi, June 12 (IANS) The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Special Court in Ranchi has issued an arrest warrant against Chhattisgarh-based businessman Siddharth Singhania in connection with the Jharkhand liquor scam.

A similar warrant was issued a day earlier against Ranchi-based automobile businessman Vinay Kumar Singh after both failed to respond to ACB summons for questioning.

Following the court’s orders, ACB teams have begun raiding possible hideouts of both the accused.

In a wider crackdown, the ACB has issued notices to several others for questioning, including Saroj Lohia, Bachcha Lohia, and Atima Khanna from Raipur (Chhattisgarh); Manish Jain and Rajiv Dwivedi from Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh); Ajit Jaisingh Rao, Amit Prabhakar Solanki, and Sunil Marutre Kumbhkar from Pune (Maharashtra).

None of them has appeared so far. The agency may seek arrest warrants for them if they continue to evade questioning.

According to the ACB, the scam has caused a loss of over Rs 38 crore to the Jharkhand government — a figure likely to increase as the investigation expands.

Meanwhile, three individuals have been taken on a two-day remand starting Thursday for further interrogation. They are Sudhir Kumar Das, former General Manager (Finance) of the Jharkhand State Beverages Corporation Limited (JSBCL); Sudhir Kumar, former General Manager (Finance & Operations) of JSBCL; and Neeraj Kumar Singh, local representative of a placement agency supplying manpower to liquor shops.

The scam has revealed a strong Chhattisgarh-Jharkhand nexus. During a related investigation into the Chhattisgarh liquor scam, the Chhattisgarh ACB recovered a diary from Siddharth Singhania’s residence.

The diary reportedly contained details of a broader syndicate operating in Jharkhand, including plans to “identify and manage” those who could obstruct the illegal liquor trade.

So far, five individuals have been arrested in connection with the Jharkhand liquor scam, including. They are Vinay Kumar Chaubey, former Principal Secretary, Excise & Prohibition Department; Gajendra Singh, former Joint Commissioner, Excise; Sudhir Kumar Das, former GM (Finance), JSBCL; Sudhir Kumar, former GM (Finance & Operations), JSBCL; and Neeraj Kumar Singh, agency representative.

–IANS

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