The Supreme Court recently granted regular bail to former Hazaribagh Deputy Commissioner and suspended IAS officer Vinay Kumar Choubey in a cheating and corruption case concerning alleged illegal mutation of revenue records and encroachment of government and forest land in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. The Supreme Court granted bail after noting that the investigation had been completed, the chargesheet had been filed and a co-accused had been granted bail. The FIR followed a complaint alleging large-scale illegal mutation of revenue records and encroachment of Bhudan land, forest land, government land, grazing land, Gair Majrua Aam and Gair Majrua Khas lands by land mafias in Hazaribagh district. The Supreme Court noted that it had earlier granted interim bail to Choubey by an order dated February 10, 2026. The land was alleged to include forest land, Gair Majaruwa Aam, Sarkari Khas Mahal, Kesher-e-hind, Lakheraj and Trust lands.