Supreme Court grants bail to Soumya Chaurasia in coal scam case
- The Supreme Court granted interim bail to Soumya Chaurasia, who has been in jail for 1 year and 9 months.
- Chaurasia's third bail application was rejected by the Chhattisgarh High Court before she appealed to the Supreme Court.
- The Court's decision allows her release under certain conditions, while her suspension from service remains in effect.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court granted interim bail to Soumya Chaurasia, a suspended civil servant from Chhattisgarh, who had been incarcerated for 1 year and 9 months due to a money laundering case linked to the coal scam. The Court's decision came after considering the significant duration Chaurasia had already spent in custody and the absence of framed charges against her. Previously, her third bail application was denied by the Chhattisgarh High Court on August 28, 2024, prompting her to appeal to the Supreme Court. The bench, which included Justices Surya Kant, Dipankar Datta, and Ujjal Bhuyan, emphasized that their ruling did not reflect any opinion on the merits of the case. They ordered her release on the condition that she provides bail bonds satisfactory to the trial court. This interim relief allows Chaurasia to be released while awaiting further hearings on her case. Despite her release, the Court made it clear that Chaurasia would remain suspended from her civil service position until further notice. Justice Kant reiterated that her suspension would continue, indicating that the legal proceedings against her are still ongoing and that the implications of the case are far from resolved. This development marks a significant moment in the ongoing legal battle surrounding the coal scam, highlighting the complexities of the judicial process in cases involving high-profile individuals. The outcome of the next hearings will be crucial in determining Chaurasia's future and the broader implications for similar cases in the region.