High Court of Chhattisgarh on Monday refused to grant interim relief to suspended SAS officer, Soumya Chaurasiya, arrested in connection with the coal levy scam. The suspended officer had filed interim bail application in the court seeking her release on grounds of upbringing her children. Meanwhile Justice N K Vyas has sought Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) reply for disposing of her interim bail application and the next hearing in the case would be held after June 10. Sources informed that the ED had arrested Chaurasiya on December 2, 2022 for her involvement in the coal levy scam worth several crores.

 

Ever since her arrest, Soumya is lodged in Central Jail, Raipur on charges of money laundering offences. She was earlier denied bail by the Supreme Court and was also imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh for misleading the court by presenting wrong facts. Notably, after her interim bail application was rejected by the Special Court in Raipur, Saumya petitioned in the High Court seeking her release. She had requested the court to grant her interim bail for upbringing of her children. The HC has sought ED’s reply on the application and the hearing in the interim bail application will be held next month.

 

 

 

A SPECIAL Court on Monday extended the remand of suspended officers Soumya Chaurasiya and Ranu Sahu till June 3 who are being quizzed by the SEOIACB in coal levy scam. Both the officers were in State Economic Offences Investigation and Anti Corruption Bureau’s (SEOIACB) remand and after their four day remand period ended on Monday, the agency produced them in the Special Court. While objecting to the extension of remand, the counsel of the accused claimed in the court the SEOIACB has been asking questions similar to ED to which the accused have already replied during interrogation. He also pointed violation of court’s directives during custodial interrogation. Meanwhile, the ED submitted that both the officers were serving in higher ranks and their involvement in the offence is evident and hence they need to be interrogated further. After listening to both the sides, the Special Court extended their remands. The agency will now quiz both the officers who will be in its custody for the next seven days.