The bench, consisting of Justices JK Maheshwari and KV Viswanathan, has rescheduled the hearing for next week following the ED’s request for more time.
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New Delhi (India), May 28, 2024 :The Supreme Court of India granted additional time to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to submit a reply regarding the bail plea of suspended bureaucrat Ranu Sahu, implicated in an alleged coal levy scam.
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The bench, consisting of Justices JK Maheshwari and KV Viswanathan, has rescheduled the hearing for next week following the ED’s request for more time.
Ranu Sahu, a suspended IAS officer, approached the Supreme Court challenging the Chhattisgarh High Court’s order dated February 8, 2024, which denied her bail in connection with the money-laundering linked alleged coal levy scam.
The High Court, while dismissing the bail plea, cited substantial prima facie evidence indicating Sahu’s involvement in the crime, referencing the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Saumya Chourasiya case.
The court concluded that Sahu failed to meet the twin conditions necessary for bail under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
“The bail application submitted under Section 439 of the Cr.P.C. is deemed unsuitable for bail approval, and thus, the bail is denied,” declared the Chhattisgarh High Court.
Sahu was arrested on July 22, 2023, for alleged offenses punishable under Sections 3 and 4 of the PMLA. The ED’s investigation is based on an FIR filed by the Kadugodi Police Station in Whitefield, Bengaluru, following a complaint from the Deputy Director of Income Tax in Bengaluru.
This initiated a comprehensive money laundering investigation by the ED, leading to searches at over 145 locations and the arrest of nine individuals so far, all of whom are currently in judicial custody.
Prosecution complaints were filed on December 9, 2022, and January 30, 2023, in the Special Court (PMLA) against various individuals, including Suryakant Tiwari, Saumya Chaurasia, IAS officer Sameer Vishnoi, among others.
The ED’s investigation revealed that on June 30, 2022, Suryakant Tiwari obstructed officials from performing their duties and destroyed significant incriminating documents and digital evidence related to the alleged illegal extortion of coal transportation payments.
The ED alleges that Ranu Sahu, during her tenure as Collector in the coal-rich districts of Korba (June 2021 to June 2022) and Raigarh (until February 2023), misused her position for personal gain. It is claimed that funds from illegal levies were used for purchase land in her and her family’s name.
Sahu’s husband, J.P. Maurya, also an IAS officer, has been implicated due to his role as Special Secretary in the Geology and Mining Department since June 2021.
The ED has established that the extortion racket accumulated proceeds of crime amounting to Rs 540 crore. These proceeds were allegedly used to fund personal acquisitions and land purchases by Sahu and her family, highlighting the extensive nature of the scam.
With the Supreme Court granting more time to the ED to file their reply, the case is set to be heard again next week. This additional time will allow the ED to present a comprehensive response to Sahu’s bail plea.
