Raipur: In the coal levy scam case in Chhattisgarh, the Enforcement Directorate took major action against suspended Deputy Secretary to Chief Minister Saumya Chaurasia and attached more than 50 properties associated with her name. ED’s board is installed in her house. It has been mentioned that the Surya Apartment situated in Bhilai in which the suspended State Public Service officer resides is also among the list of attached properties.
Saumya Chaurasia was considered as the most powerful and influential officer in the previous Congress government, and was also the deputy secretary to the former CM Bhupesh Baghel. She was arrested by the ED on 2 December 2022 in the coal scam and money laundering case. Since then she is languishing in the Central Jail Raipur as an under trial prisoner.
ED had started investigation into the illegal collection of Rs 500 crore in the alleged coal transportation scam case in Chhattisgarh. Moreover after the coal scam case was registered, ED also registered a case of money laundering against the powerful officer of state public service cadre.
It was alleged that rules were changed in order to carry out extortion from the traders. Movable and immovable properties were acquired from the amount extorted from the coal levy. Many of these properties were purchased and are still benami.
In this case, ED had arrested Suryakant Tiwari, coal washery operator Sunil Agarwal, IAS Sameer Bishnoi, IAS Ranu Sahu, Saumya Chaurasia and others on different dates. ED alleges that this scam was worth about Rs 500 crore.
