Saumya Chaurasia gets interim bail from Supreme Court

Supreme Court strongly criticises Enforcement Directorate over long detention without filing chargesheet

New Delhi/Raipur (Team Newsbuddy): The Supreme Court has granted interim bail to suspended Chhattisgarh official Saumya Chaurasia, who has been in custody for 1 year and 9 months in a money laundering case linked to the state’s coal scam. The court gave this verdict keeping in mind important facts like her long detention and non-filing of chargesheet. Chaurasia, who has been the Deputy Secretary of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, had challenged the August 28, 2024 order of the Chhattisgarh High Court, which rejected her third bail plea.

Hearing SLP (Crl) No. 12494/2024, a bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Dutta and Ujjal Bhuiyan granted her interim bail with conditions and said that it is improper to keep her in custody for such a long time without filing a chargesheet. The Supreme Court has fixed October 26, 2024 as the next date of hearing in the matter. The court said in its order that without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case and to give an opportunity of detailed hearing to the parties on the next date, we direct that the petitioner be released on interim bail, provided she files an appropriate bail bond before the trial court. Also, the court clarified that Chaurasia’s release will not mean her reinstatement in government service, and she will remain suspended till further orders. Several stringent conditions have been imposed on Chaurasia’s bail, including attending all trial court hearings, not influencing witnesses or tampering with evidence, submitting his passport to the court, and seeking permission from the trial court before leaving the country.