The Supreme Court has granted pre-arrest bail to Satish Chandra Verma, the former Advocate General of Chhattisgarh, in connection with his alleged involvement in the Nagrik Apurti Nigam (NAN) scam. The decision was made by a bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, who have instructed Verma to fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
During the proceedings, Verma’s legal representatives, senior advocate Vivek Tankha and advocate Sumeer Sodhi, argued that the Chhattisgarh High Court had erred in its judgment that custodial interrogation of Verma was necessary. They maintained that the allegations against him did not constitute an offence that warranted such measures.
Opposing the grant of anticipatory bail, senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, representing the state government, contended that there was substantial evidence against Verma that justified his arrest to further the investigation into the NAN scam. This case involves the alleged distribution of substandard food supplies like rice and salt through the state-run Nagrik Apurti Nigam, implicating several high-profile officials and bureaucrats.
The Supreme Court’s decision to grant bail comes after the Chhattisgarh government assured the apex court earlier that it would refrain from taking any coercive steps against Verma while his case was under judicial consideration. The allegations in the FIR suggest that Verma facilitated bail for other accused in the scam, Anil Tuteja and Alok Shukla, raising questions about his conduct while in office.
