SC Extends Interim Bail of Saumya Chaurasia in Money Laundering Case

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 28th Nov. The Supreme Court on Thursday extended the interim bail of Saumya Chaurasia, the former deputy secretary to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who is accused in a money laundering case linked to the alleged coal-levy scam in the state.

Chaurasia, who has been in custody for over one year and nine months, was granted interim bail on September 25 by the apex court, with the observation that charges had yet to be framed. The court, while hearing her plea, noted that the trial had not yet commenced. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan asked about the current status of the case. Senior advocate Siddhartha Dave, representing Chaurasia, informed the court that the trial had not begun.

The bench decided to extend her interim bail and posted the matter for a hearing in the last week of January 2025. It also directed Chaurasia to remain under suspension until further orders, despite her interim bail status. The court clarified that she must appear before the trial court when proceedings begin and cooperate fully.

Chaurasia, a Chhattisgarh-cadre civil servant, was involved in the coal-levy scam that allegedly extorted Rs 540 crore over two years. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had opposed her bail, arguing that her release could compromise the trial due to her influential position.

The case stems from an income-tax department complaint, with the ED alleging a conspiracy involving senior bureaucrats, politicians, businessmen, and middlemen in the illegal coal levy. The scam involved the extortion of Rs 25 per tonne of coal transported in the state.

Chaurasia had previously been denied bail by the Chhattisgarh High Court, a decision she challenged before the Supreme Court.