Submit passport, stay away from Chhattisgarh, talking to media is prohibited. Three associates of Bhupesh Baghel get bail
Big news has come out from Raipur. Here 3 big officials have been conditionally released from jail after two years. These include former CM Bhupesh Baghel’s Deputy Secretary Soumya Chaurasia, IAS Ranu Sahu and Sameer Vishnoi.
The passports of all three have been deposited in the police station. The condition has been kept that all three will stay out of Chhattisgarh.
When information was sought in the case, all three officers were seen keeping distance from the media. According to the information, all three were arrested during the ED action in the coal levy scam case. Soumya Chaurasia was arrested in the year 2022. At the same time, IAS Ranu Sahu was arrested in 2023. Apart from this, Rajnikant Tiwari, Virendra Jaiswal and Sandeep Nayak have also been released from jail.
All three were accused of coal scam of more than 540 crores. In this case, ED had registered an FIR against 36 people. ED alleges that a scam of crores was done on the basis of coal operations and offline permits. An official order was issued for this on July 15, 2020 by the then Director of Mineral Department. For this, a syndicate was formed and Rs 25 per ton was collected from coal traders and deposited with the employees of Suryakant Tiwari. Only those who paid this amount were issued peat pass and transport pass.
Property worth Rs 300 crore attached
The money earned from this was used by all these accused. In which EOW confirmed property worth Rs 9.20 crore in the name of 2008 batch State Administrative Service officer Saumya Chaurasia and family. ED has so far attached property worth more than Rs 300 crore.
What is Coal Levy Scam?
The coal levy scam in Chhattisgarh has emerged as a major financial scam. In which illegal recovery of about 540 crores was done in connivance with government officials, businessmen and politicians. This case is related to illegal levy on coal transportation through changes in the mineral policy of the state.
Recovery was done through syndicate
According to the allegations and chargesheet by investigating agencies, in July 2020, IAS Sameer Bishnoi, the then Director of Mineral Department of Chhattisgarh, issued a government order. Under which the online permit system for coal transportation was made manual. As a result, illegal recovery of Rs 25 per tonne started from coal transporters and traders. Businessman Suryakant Tiwari is considered to be the mastermind of this syndicate. Who carried out this scam in connivance with government officials and politicians.
Legal action and arrests
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has temporarily attached more than 100 movable and immovable properties of the accused, whose total value is said to be Rs 49.73 crore. The Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) and Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) have arrested 11 people. These include suspended IAS officer Ranu Sahu, Saumya Chaurasia and businessman Suryakant Tiwari. The Supreme Court granted interim bail to these accused in March 2025, but even after getting bail, EOW and ACB arrested them again.
Financial manipulation and election connection
The agencies have found in the investigation that the money obtained from this scam was also used in election expenses. A part of the amount of about 540 crores obtained from illegal recovery was used to bribe government officials and leaders, while the rest was spent on election expenses.
Charge sheet and property attachment
Apart from the central agency ED in the coal scam case, the state’s Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) has filed a 6000-page charge sheet in this case. Which includes allegations of corruption, fraud and misuse of government funds. So far properties worth Rs 270 crore have been seized.
Who was arrested when?
So far, several arrests have been made in the coal levy scam of Chhattisgarh. These include senior IAS officers, businessmen, and political leaders.
October 2022: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) started investigation against IAS officer Sameer Bishnoi and businessman Suryakant Tiwari.
December 2022: Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s former OSD Saumya Chaurasia was arrested.
2023: IAS officer Ranu Sahu was arrested.
May 2023: ED seized the properties of two Congress MLAs Devendra Yadav and Chandradev Prasad Rai and other accused.
July 2024: The Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) and Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) filed chargesheet against 15 accused.
March 2025: The Supreme Court granted interim bail to six accused, including Ranu Sahu, Sameer Bishnoi, Saumya Chaurasia and others.
How serious were the allegations against whom?
Sameer Bishnoi: Then director of the state mineral department, who ordered the conversion of the online permit system to manual, making illegal levy collection possible.
Saumya Chaurasia: OSD to former chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, who played the role of mediator in the scam.
Ranu Sahu: Former collector, who facilitated illegal recovery from coal transportation and also showed involvement in District Mineral Fund (DMF) contracts.
Suryakant Tiwari: Businessman and main accused, who ran a network of illegal levy collection of Rs 25 per tonne from coal transportation.
Devendra Yadav and Chandradev Prasad Rai: Congress MLAs, who are accused of receiving illegal money for election expenses.
This scam raises serious questions on the mineral policy and administrative transparency of the state. At present, legal action is going on and the case is being heard in Chhattisgarh.