The Supreme Court on Monday relaxed a bail condition imposed on former IAS officer Sameer Vishnoi in the alleged Chhattisgarh liquor scam case to permit him to travel for the medical treatment of his minor son suffering from a serious heart condition.

Petitioner is an accused in the alleged Chhattisgarh coal levy scam being investigated by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and the Directorate of Enforcement (ED). Investigating agencies have alleged that a syndicate collected illegal levies on coal transportation in the state between 2020 and 2022. Vishnoi, a former Director in the Mining Department, has been accused of facilitating the offline permit mechanism allegedly used in the scam.

During the hearing, the petitioner informed the Court that his 13-year-old son suffers from a heart condition and his wife was managing the child’s treatment alone. Addressing the Bench, petitioner submitted:

“My son has a hole in the heart and my wife alone is there to look after him… it can be an emergency any time.”

He further stated that the condition was a continuing medical issue and not something that had suddenly arisen for the purpose of seeking relaxation.

The Enforcement Directorate opposed the plea to an extent, pointing out that the ground had not been specifically raised during the original bail hearing and sought verification of the medical documents.

The Court, however, observed that the situation warranted humanitarian consideration and suggested that the child could accompany Vishnoi for medical verification if required.

The Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi ultimately permitted Vishnoi to visit his family for the treatment of his minor son and relaxed the travel-related condition imposed earlier. The Court directed that advance intimation be given to the concerned authorities before travel. The Bench also observed that if further treatment or surgery became necessary, Vishnoi would be at liberty to seek appropriate extension or modification.