The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday granted bail to former Rajasthan minister Mahesh Joshi in a money-laundering case linked with alleged irregularities under the Jal Jeevan Mission. The bail order came from a bench comprising Dipankar Datta and Augustine George Masih. The decision overturned an earlier order from Rajasthan High Court denying him relief.
Allegations against Joshi and ED’s case
Joshi, who served as the minister for the Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED) during the previous Congress government in Rajasthan, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in April 2025. The ED alleged that Joshi colluded with contractors to grant illegal tenders under the Jal Jeevan Mission, received bribes amounting to ₹50 lakh, and laundered proceeds totaling around ₹2 crore.
The case traces back to an FIR lodged by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Rajasthan (ACB), which accused contractors of using fake certificates to obtain PHED contracts — irregularities that the ED claims benefited Joshi directly or indirectly.
Why bail was granted: Court’s reasoning
The Bench observed that:
The trial has not yet begun and there is no realistic prospect of its commencement soon, given the voluminous evidence — including 66 witnesses and over 14,600 pages of documentation.
All co-accused had already been released on bail earlier; the High Court had not adequately considered this fact while denying bail to Joshi.
The evidence is largely documentary and in custody of the ED, reducing risks of tampering.
On these grounds, the Court held that continued incarceration would violate the principle of personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Bail conditions and release
As part of bail conditions, Joshi must surrender his passport, cooperate with trial proceedings, and obtain permission before leaving the country.
He was granted bail after spending over seven months in custody — his arrest having occurred on April 24, 2025.
Case title : SH MAHESH JOSHI v. DIRECTORATE OF ENFORCEMENT
