Supreme Court Grants Interim Bail to Chhattisgarh’s Suspended IAS Officer Saumya Chaurasia
New Delhi, India – The Supreme Court has granted interim bail to Saumya Chaurasia, a suspended IAS officer from Chhattisgarh, who has been in custody for a long time due to a money laundering case. The decision was made by a bench of Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta, and Ujjal Bhuyan.
The court noted that Chaurasia has been in custody for one year and nine months, and the charges against her are yet to be framed. Some of her co-accused have already been released on interim bail. The High Court had observed that charges could not be framed due to non-execution of non-bailable warrants against some accused who failed to appear before the Trial Court.
The Supreme Court directed that Chaurasia be released on interim bail, subject to her furnishing bail bonds to the satisfaction of the Trial Court. However, she will remain suspended from her service until further orders and must not influence witnesses, tamper with evidence, or leave the country without the court’s permission. She is also required to surrender her passport and attend court proceedings.
During the hearing, the court raised concerns about the low conviction rate in cases investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The matter is scheduled for further hearing on October 25, where Chaurasia’s appeal against the Chhattisgarh High Court’s rejection of her bail plea will be discussed. The ED has opposed her appeal.
Saumya Chaurasia was arrested in December 2022 in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal levy scam. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju represented the ED, while senior advocate Siddhartha Dave and advocate Pallavi Sharma represented Chaurasia.
Doubts Revealed
Supreme Court -: The Supreme Court is the highest court in India. It makes important decisions about laws and justice.
Interim Bail -: Interim bail means temporary release from jail until the court makes a final decision.
IAS Officer -: An IAS officer is a high-ranking government official in India. IAS stands for Indian Administrative Service.
Chhattisgarh -: Chhattisgarh is a state in central India. It has its own government and officials.
Money Laundering -: Money laundering is hiding money that was earned illegally so it looks like it was earned legally.
Suspension -: Suspension means that someone is temporarily not allowed to do their job.
Witnesses -: Witnesses are people who see something happen and can tell others about it.
Tamper with Evidence -: Tampering with evidence means changing or hiding proof so that it can’t be used in court.
Coal Levy Scam -: A coal levy scam is a cheating case where people illegally took money related to coal taxes or fees.
