The Supreme Court has dismissed the bail plea of former Chhattisgarh Deputy Secretary, Soumya Chaurasia, in connection with a money laundering case. The Court has also levied a fine of Rs 1 lakh against her. Chaurasia, previously serving as the deputy secretary in the office of former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, faces allegations under the Coal Scam and Money Laundering Act.
Arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on December 2, 2022, Chaurasia was later suspended on December 15. The High Court had previously rejected her bail application.
Bilaspur High Court had earlier dismissed Chaurasia’s bail plea related to the coal levy case. The ED arrested several individuals, including Suryakant Tiwari, coal washery operator Sunil Aggarwal, and others, on various dates concerning the alleged scam worth approximately Rs 500 crore. The investigation revealed the acquisition of movable and immovable properties suspected to be benami, funded by the proceeds from this levy.
In a significant decision, Justices Bela M Trivedi and Aniruddha Bose, while announcing the dismissal of Chaurasia’s bail plea, reprimanded the petitioner and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh. Prior to this ruling, the High Court had also criticized the bail petition.
ED Seeks CBI Inquiry:
Furthermore, the ED filed a petition in the High Court requesting a CBI investigation. The petition alleges that certain individuals, including Soumya Chaurasia, received special privileges in jail, and ED officers faced obstructions. The case, seeking a CBI inquiry against the former Bhupesh Sarkar, remains pending in the High Court.
