Coal Levy Scam: SC Extends Interim Bail Of Saumya Chaurasia

Saumya Chaurasia

The Supreme Court on Thursday has extended the interim bail of Saumya Chaurasia, the former deputy secretary to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal-levy scam.

Chaurasia, who had been granted interim bail on September 25, 2023, after spending more than a year and nine months in custody, continues to await charges. The Court had previously noted that charges had not yet been framed, and her trial had not commenced.

The matter was heard by a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, who asked for an update on the case’s current status.

Senior advocate Siddhartha Dave, representing Chaurasia, informed the court that the trial had not yet started. The bench confirmed that her interim bail would continue and scheduled the next hearing for the last week of January.

Chaurasia had filed the plea challenging an August 28 decision by the Chhattisgarh High Court, which had denied her bail. In its September 25 ruling, the Supreme Court had also directed that Chaurasia should not be reinstated in her position despite being granted interim bail, noting that she would remain under suspension until further orders.

The bench emphasized that she must cooperate with the trial and be present in court when the trial commences.

The Enforcement Directorate, represented by Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, had opposed the bail, arguing that Chaurasia, due to her influential position as a civil servant, could potentially interfere with the trial.

Chaurasia, a senior Chhattisgarh-cadre civil servant, was an officer on special duty in the office of the former chief minister. The case stems from a larger investigation into a coal-levy scam, which allegedly involved a cartel of senior bureaucrats, businessmen, and politicians extorting Rs.540 crore over two years.

The ED’s investigation, which follows a complaint from the Income Tax Department, claims that an illegal levy of Rs 25 was extorted for every tonne of coal transported in Chhattisgarh. The federal agency has accused Chaurasia of being actively involved in money laundering activities under Section 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Earlier, on December 14, 2022, the Supreme Court dismissed her bail plea, citing evidence collected by the ED suggesting her significant involvement in the scam.