Jaipur, June 12 (IANS) Troubles continue to deepen for former Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Minister and senior Congress leader Mahesh Joshi in the alleged Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) corruption case.

In a significant setback on Friday, the Rajasthan High Court dismissed a petition challenging the legality of his arrest, refusing to grant any relief and effectively ensuring that the former Minister remains in judicial custody.

The court judgment came from a division bench comprising Justice Umashankar Vyas and Justice Ashok Kumar Jain, which rejected a habeas corpus petition filed by Joshi’s son, Rohit Joshi, questioning the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s (ACB) actions during the arrest.

Representing the petitioner, advocates Aman Agarwal and Neha Goyal said that the ACB had violated provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) while arresting Mahesh Joshi from his Jaipur residence on May 7.

They contended that family members were not provided timely written information regarding the grounds of arrest, a mandatory requirement under the new criminal procedure law.

The petition sought Joshi’s immediate release, claiming that procedural lapses rendered the arrest illegal.

However, the state government strongly contested the allegations.

Advocate General Rajendra Prasad and Additional Advocate General Rajesh Chaudhary said that the arrest was carried out lawfully and transparently.

The state government said that Mahesh Joshi’s family members were present during the arrest and were fully aware of the reasons for his detention.

According to the state, investigating officers also kept Rohit Joshi informed through telephone updates while the former Minister was being taken to the ACB headquarters and later produced before the special court.

Accepting the state’s submissions, the High Court dismissed the petition, endorsing the findings of the lower special court that had earlier upheld the validity of the arrest.

The case stems from alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission during the Ashok Gehlot government in 2021.

Investigators allege that private firms, including SHri Shyam Tubewell and Shri Ganpati Tubewell, secured PHED contracts worth nearly Rs 960 crore by submitting forged experience certificates purportedly issued by public sector undertaking IRCON.

The ACB claims that the companies, in collusion with senior PHED officials and other accused persons, obtained lucrative contracts based on fraudulent documents.

Investigations by the ACB and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have also pointed to alleged payment of bribes and commissions for clearing tenders and overlooking procedural violations.

Mahesh Joshi is facing scrutiny from both the ACB and the ED.

While the ACB is probing alleged corruption in the awarding of JJM contracts, the ED is conducting a parallel money-laundering investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The High Court’s refusal to interfere with the arrest is being viewed as a major legal setback for the former Minister and a significant development in one of Rajasthan’s most high-profile corruption investigations.

–IANS

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