Soumya Chaurasia’s bail plea dismissed by SC Imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh: Suspended Officer in Coal Levy Case Remains in Jail

Raipur Somya Chaurasia’s bail plea was dismissed by the Supreme Court and a fine of Rs 1 lakh was imposed on her. The suspended officer in the coal levy case remains in jail in Raipur. During the previous Congress government, this rejection by the Supreme Court marks a setback for Soumya Chaurasia, a former powerful and influential officer. She formerly served as the Deputy Secretary to Chhattisgarh’s ex-CM Bhupesh Baghel. Soumya was arrested by the ED on December 2, 2022, and has remained in Raipur’s Central Jail since then. Prior to this, the Bilaspur High Court had rejected her bail plea in the coal levy case. According to the ED, a levy of 25 rupees per ton was imposed on coal transportation in Chhattisgarh, with changes made in the regulations governing this levy collection. The ED alleges Congress leader Suryakant Tiwari’s involvement in this matter. In relation to this case, the ED had arrested Suryakant Tiwari, Coal Washer Director Sunil Agrawal, IAS officers Sameer Bishnoi, Ranu Sahu, Somya Chaurasia, and others on different dates. The ED alleged that this scam involved nearly five hundred million rupees and that wealth was amassed from this levy, including various unnamed assets. Somya contested the ED’s action in court. Her lawyers, in their plea to the Supreme Court, challenged the legality of the ED’s actions, citing her gender and responsibility for small children. They also noted that the case’s hearing would take a significant amount of time, requesting bail for her. Previously, the Chhattisgarh High Court had rejected Somya’s bail plea.