Raipur: In a major development in the illegal coal levy extortion case, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has filed a chargesheet of nearly 1,000 pages against accused Jaychand Koshle in the Special Court (Prevention of Corruption Act), Raipur. The chargesheet was submitted on December 15, 2025, in Crime No. 03/2024. The accused is currently lodged in Central Jail, Raipur.
According to the EOW, Jaychand Koshle has been charged under Sections 120B, 420, 384, 467, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code, along with Sections 7, 7A and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended in 2018.
Investigations revealed that Jaychand Koshle, who was posted as a personal assistant in the then Chief Ministerโs Secretariat, worked as a subordinate of Saumya Chaurasia and played a key role as the main receiver and intermediary of large amounts of cash generated through illegal coal levy extortion. Entries recorded under the name โJayโ in a seized diary were found to be directly linked to Jaychand Koshle and Saumya Chaurasia, confirming the flow of illegal transactions through him.
The probe further established that Jaychand Koshle collected money from the residence of Suryakant Tiwari and other locations, and subsequently handed over the cash to Manish Upadhyay or other individuals as instructed by Saumya Chaurasia. Through the illegal coal levy operation, he is alleged to have collected approximately โน7 to โน8 crore on behalf of Saumya Chaurasia.
Digital evidence recovered from the mobile phones of Suryakant Tiwari and other accused includes detailed accounts of levy collections and real-time entries maintained through WhatsApp groups. Several entries linked to the name โJayโ have been found, further substantiating Jaychand Koshleโs involvement in the offence. Additionally, chats exchanged between Anil Tuteja and Saumya Chaurasia indicate that Jaychand Koshle acted as a conduit for confidential tasks and the transfer of important files and documents on Saumya Chaurasiaโs directions.
Investigators also found evidence showing that, apart from acting as a receiver and intermediary, Jaychand Koshle personally benefited from the illegal proceeds. A portion of the extorted money was allegedly used to acquire properties in his own name and in the names of his family members. Further investigation into these assets is currently underway.
It is noteworthy that earlier in July 2024, the EOW had filed the first chargesheet against 15 accused in the same case. Subsequently, supplementary chargesheets were filed against two accused in October 2024 and two more in October 2025. With the filing of the present chargesheet, a total of 20 accused have been chargesheeted so far, while investigation against other potential accused is still ongoing.
