The Supreme Court of India on Thursday rejected the bail plea of Saumya Chaurasia, former deputy secretary to Bhupesh Baghel, the ex-Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. Saumya Chaurasia is accused in an alleged money laundering case related to a coal levy scam.
A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on Saumya Chaurasia for providing inaccurate information, emphasizing the importance of parties approaching the court with full and correct disclosure of material facts. The bench clarified that, despite finding no merits in the case, the appeal was dismissed due to the presentation of incorrect facts.
The Supreme Court heard the appeal after the Chhattisgarh High Court had previously denied Saumya Chaurasia’s bail petition. The investigative agency had asserted that a “grand conspiracy” occurred in Chhattisgarh, a state rich in natural resources, leading to a coal levy scam that resulted in the alleged extortion of Rs 540 crore over the preceding two years.
The origins of the money laundering case trace back to a complaint from the Income Tax department. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe focuses on uncovering a significant scam involving the illegal levy of Rs 25 per tonne of coal transported in Chhattisgarh.