Supreme Court Scolds ED, Says ‘How Long Can You…’

The Supreme Court has reprimanded the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for keeping an accused in jail without filing a chargesheet. The court has granted interim bail to Soumya Chaurasia, the then secretary of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, in a coal scam case. Soumya, who has been in jail for over a year and a half, had approached the Supreme Court after her bail plea was rejected by the High Court.

‘How Long Can You…’

During the hearing, Justice Bhuyan said, “How long can you keep a woman in custody? Five years, seven years? She has been in custody for more than a year and nine months, and the charges against her are yet to be framed, and the trial has not even begun. How long can you keep a person in jail without framing charges?” The court has granted interim bail to Soumya without commenting on the merits of the case, subject to the conditions set by the lower court. The court has also said that the petitioner should not be reinstated in service based on the interim bail.