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ACB files fresh FIR against jailed Jharkhand IAS officer Vinay Chaubey, kin in DA case

RANCHI: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered a fresh FIR against IAS officer Vinay Chaubey and seven others, including his relatives and close associate Vinay Singh, over allegations of large-scale corruption, fraudulent transactions and amassing disproportionate assets through a network of family members and associates. Apart from Chaubey, the FIR names his wife Swapna Sanchita, friend and key investor in alleged illegal assets Vinay Singh, Singhs wife Sanchita Singh, Chaubeys brother-in-law Shipij Trivedi, sister-in-law Priyanka Trivedi and his father-in-law S.N. Trivedi. Both Chaubey and Vinay Singh are currently lodged in jail in connection with separate liquor and land scam cases. According to officials, the ACB probe found that Chaubeys income and assets far exceed his known sources of income. While his legitimate earnings amount to Rs 2.20 crore, investigators detected deposits totalling Rs 3.47 crore across accounts operated by him and those held by his relatives and associates indicating unexplained assets worth Rs 1.27 crore, nearly 53% higher than his legal income. Investigators say Chaubey created an elaborate financial network using the bank accounts of his wife, brother-in-law, father-in-law, friend and friends wife. Funds were allegedly routed through cash deposits, RTGS transfers, loan payments, real estate deals and private company transactions to conceal their origin. Vinay Singh is suspected to have acted as the receiver and operator of these illegal proceeds, with multiple suspicious transactions flagged in his accounts. His wife too is alleged to have played an active role in the laundering network. The probe also indicates that Chaubey routinely used the bank accounts of Shipij Trivedi, Priyanka Trivedi and S.N. Trivedi to mask his illicit earnings. ACB investigators claim they have found evidence of financial irregularities during every posting held by Chaubey including a land scam in Hazaribagh and a liquor scam in Ranchi with more cases now under scrutiny. Following the FIR, ACB teams have begun detailed tracing of bank account records, digital data, mobile phone trails, property documents and all financial transactions linked to Chaubey, Vinay Singh and the other accused.