SC grants interim bail to multiple accused in Chhattisgarh coal scam

The Supreme Court on Thursday granted interim bail to several accused in the high-profile Chhattisgarh coal levy scam, including Suryakant Tiwari, former civil servants Ranu Sahu and Saumya Chaurasia, Sameer Vishnoi, and others.

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A bench comprising justices Surya Kant and Dipankar Datta passed the order, extending interim relief in all matters listed before it.

The court had earlier granted interim bail to ex-bureaucrats Saumya Chaurasia, Ranu Sahu and others in March this year, followed by Laxmikant Tiwari, Manish Upadhyay, and Parekh Kurre in early May. Fresh petitions were filed by additional accused seeking similar relief.

Delivering the order on Thursday, the Supreme Court directed that all petitioners be released on interim bail, subject to furnishing bail bonds to the satisfaction of the trial court. However, the court imposed specific conditions on key accused — Suryakant Tiwari, Ranu Sahu, Sameer Vishnoi, and Saumya Chaurasia — prohibiting them from staying in the state of Chhattisgarh until further orders.