The court emphasized that economic offences, due to their severity and potential for evidence tampering, necessitate careful consideration in bail requests.

CAV ORDER

1. This is first bail application filed under Section 483 of the Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita , 2023 for grant of regular bail to the applicant, who has been arrested on 5-3-2025 in connection with Crime No. 02/2024 registered at Police Station- EOW/ACB, Raipur, District Raipur (C.G.) for the offence punishable under Sections 420 , 120-B, 467, 468, 471 of IPC and Sections 7 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act .

2. The case of the prosecution, in brief, is that EOW, Raipur received a letter/information from Enforcement Directorate dated 11.01.2024 urging the EOW to register an FIR under IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act against the applicant along with other co-accused. On the basis of letter/ information, the FIR bearing Crime No. 02/2024 has been registered at Police Station- EOW/ACB, Raipur, District Raipur (C.G.) for commission of offence under Sections 420 , 120-B, 467, 468, 471 of IPC and Sections 7 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act against the applicant mainly alleging that:-

(A)District Mineral Fund Trust (for short “the DMFT”) is a trust constituted under the Mines and Minerals Act which has been set up in all districts of Chhattisgarh with the aim to extend benefits to the persons who are affected by mining related projects and activities. It is also case of the prosecution that the criminal conspiracy has hatched while allotting various types of tenders under DMF after receiving illegal benefit and thereby causing loss to Government by committing financial irregularities. It is alleged that the present applicant was Assistant Commissioner, Tribal Welfare Department at District Balod and thereafter at Korba at the relevant time.

(B)Further case of the prosecution is that in connivance with Smt. Ranu Sahu, the then Collector of Districts Balod and Korba among others and being part of a syndicate, siphoned off public money and part of such money was paid as bribes to the Government officials. From the facts and evidence collected during the course of investigation, it has been found that accused/applicant who as working as Deputy Commissioner, Tribal Development Department, District Korba played an active role in serious irregularities and corruption while floating tenders issued under District Mineral Foundation Trust (D.M.F.T.) during her posting.

(C) It is also case of the prosecution that on the instructions of the then Collector, Smt. Ranu Sahu, the present applicant collected illegal commission upto 40 percent from the tender recipients in exchange for approving the contracts. A part of the illegal amount collected was given directly to Smt. Ranu Sahu and the remaining amount was delivered to various persons mentioned by her, on the instructions of Smt. Ranu Sahu. Present applicant Smt. Maya Varier was an active and trusted member of this entire corruption syndicate, who provided illegal benefits to herself and the entire syndicate in operating this network. The investigation has also revealed that as a senior officer of the Tribal Development Department, Smt. Maya Varier had complete control over the implementation of public welfare schemes being run in the notified tribal area of District Korba. She used to get the work allotted to the identified contractors and vendors only at the behest of Collector Ranu Sahu, by giving direct instructions to the Chief Executive Officers of the Janpad Panchayats. In return, she used to get illegal commission.

(D) It is also case of the prosecution that the Applicant Mrs. Maya Varier was the closest and most t