Kumar Bahukhandi
Bilaspur. Chhattisgarh High Court has rejected the bail plea of suspended State Administrative Service officer Soumya Chaurasia for the third time. The decision on Soumya Chaurasia’s bail plea was reserved in the High Court. Justice N K Vyas has made the decision to reject the bail plea public. State Deputy Advocate General and ED Special Public Prosecutor Dr Saurabh Kumar Pandey has confirmed the High Court’s order regarding the rejection of bail.
Let us tell you that in the coal levy recovery case of Rs 570 crore, along with Saumya Chaurasia, IAS Sameer Bishnoi, Ranu Sahu and others were arrested by the ED. Coal traders were charged per tonne for issuing transport and peat passes. The businessman who did not pay the money was not given a transport pass. It was run like a whole syndicate. Suryakant Tiwari was considered the kingpin of the syndicate. Suryakant Tiwari used to get this power from Saumya Chaurasia. After investigation, ED arrested Saumya Chaurasia and two IAS officers as well as others and sent them to jail.
Apart from ED, EOW has also said in the investigation of the coal scam that Saumya Chaurasia and her family have bought 29 immovable properties worth Rs 9 crore 20 lakh more than their income. This property has been purchased between the years 2021 and 2022. Saumya Chaurasia has been in jail for the last one and a half years in the case. Her bail plea has been rejected twice before. Now, on the basis of IAS Ranu Sahu and Dipesh Tank getting bail from the Supreme Court, Saumya Chaurasia has filed a bail plea for the third time.
Saumya Chaurasia’s lawyer had argued that Saumya Chaurasia has been in jail for the last one and a half years. She has small children. The hearing of the case will take a lot of time. Three accused in this case have already got bail from the Supreme Court. Therefore, she should also be given the benefit of bail. After the hearing, the single bench of Justice NK Vyas had reserved the decision. Now the decision has been made public.
