The Supreme Court has relaxed a condition imposed in its earlier bail order in favour of Sameer Vishnoi, permitting him to visit his family in Raipur for the treatment of his eight-year-old son suffering from a congenital cardiac condition requiring continuous specialised medical care.
Petitioner, Sameer Vishnoi, 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.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi directed that the condition contained in paragraph 3 of its May 29, 2025, order be kept in abeyance qua the applicant. The Court allowed Vishnoi to take his son to the hospital within one week, subject to advance intimation to the Directorate of Enforcement’s nodal officer in Raipur.
The Court further directed that after the child’s latest medical examination, Vishnoi must furnish copies of the medical reports to the ED for verification. It also clarified that in the event of any doubt on the genuineness of the cause, the ED would be at liberty to seek restoration of the original condition.
