• Accused ordered to relocate outside State, disclose new addresses within a week
• Bench warns against influencing witnesses or tampering with investigation
• Petitioners must surrender passports and fully cooperate with investigative agencies 

THESupremeCourtonThursday granted interim bail to several high-profile accused in the Chhattisgarh coal levy scam, including, former bureaucrats Saumya Chaurasia and Ranu Sahu,SameerBishnoi(bothsuspended IAS officers) and businessman Suryakant Tiwari alias SKT. The bench, comprising JusticesSuryaKantandDipankar Datta, imposed stringent bail conditions, explicitly designed to protect the integrity of ongoing investigations. The Court directed that the petitioners furnishbailbonds to thesatisfactionofthetrial court. Notably, it ordered Suryakant Tiwari,SaumyaChaurasia,Ranu Sahu,andSameerBishnoinotto stay within Chhattisgarh during theperiodofinterimbail,except when required to appear before investigative agencies orthe trial court. The accused are mandated to provide details of their place of stay outside the statewithinone week of release and notify the concerned jurisdictional police station. Justice Surya Kant, while dictating the order, remarked, “Thesearepersonswhohavethe potentiality to influence the investigation,” underlining the Court’s concern that witness intimidation or evidence tampering could derail the process.

 

Theordermakes it clearthatany attempt by the petitioners to interferewithwitnessesortamper with evidence will amount to misuse of the interim bail concession, potentially revoking their liberty. The Court further directed the petitioners to immediately surrender their passports to the special court and to fully cooperate with all investigative requirements. Importantly, the bench underscored that the grant of interim bail is without prejudice to the respondents’ rights, and no equitable advantage would accrue to the accused merely on account of this temporary relief. During the hearing, the bench raised pointed concerns about the atmosphere surrounding the investigation, emphasising the need for adequate witness protection. Justice Kant cautioned the prosecution, observing, “You must infuse confidence in witnesses that they will be protected. Otherwise, what will be the fate of the investigation if they are left to the mercy of the mighty?” The matter, titled Ranu Sahu vs State of Chhattisgarh, SLP(Crl) No. 15941/2024 and connected cases, was argued by Senior Advocates Siddharth Dave, Mukta Gupta, Siddharth Aggarwal, and Advocates Tushar Giri and Harshwardhan Parganiha for the petitioners, with ASG Aishwarya Bhati and DAG Ravi Sharma representing the respondents.