Babulal Marandi alleges liquor policy bribery in Jharkhand

Babulal Marandi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly and a BJP leader, has raised serious allegations against Chief Minister Hemant Soren regarding corruption in the state's liquor policy.

Marandi claims that Chhattisgarh businessman Anwar Dhebar allegedly paid 50 crore rupees to former Principal Secretary Vinay Kumar Choubey to facilitate amendments to Jharkhand's liquor policy. Additionally, investigations reportedly suggest a 5 crore rupee payment was made to appoint Arunpati Tripathi as an advisor to the Jharkhand State Beverages Corporation Limited (JSBCL).

The BJP leader questioned whether these developments were coincidental or part of a planned scheme, noting that Chief Minister Soren was hosted by Dhebar during a visit to Chhattisgarh. Marandi further alleged that a team of Jharkhand officials sent to study the Chhattisgarh model in Raipur produced a recommendation report in just 24 hours to implement the same system in Jharkhand.

Marandi stated he had previously warned the Chief Minister in writing about potential irregularities and specific individuals likely to receive contracts before tenders were issued. As of the report, the Chief Minister's office has not provided an immediate response to these allegations.