Mahesh Joshi Bail SC Jal Jeevan Mission PMLA Update: The Supreme Court grants bail to the former PHED Minister, citing prolonged incarceration in the ED-led money laundering case. Analysis of the stringent bail conditions and the judicial review of the PMLA Act.
Mahesh Joshi Bail SC Jal Jeevan Mission PMLA
The Supreme Court of India delivered a significant verdict today, granting bail to former Rajasthan Minister Mahesh Joshi in the high-profile money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the central government’s Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scheme. Joshi, who previously held the critical Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED) portfolio in the Rajasthan government, had been in custody under the stringent provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for approximately seven months. This decision, overruling the Rajasthan High Court’s previous denial, marks a crucial instance of judicial relief and re-emphasizes the constitutional balance between investigative mandates and the fundamental right to personal liberty.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had arrested Joshi in April, alleging his involvement in a complex network of corruption where kickbacks were paid to secure tenders and cover up irregularities in the JJM scheme—a flagship initiative designed to provide safe drinking water to every household. The core allegation against the former Minister focused on the money trail, particularly a ₹50 lakh bribe allegedly routed to a firm owned by Joshi’s son as a quid pro quo for official favors. The ED investigation, which originated from a predicate offense filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), has been rigorous, involving numerous searches and interrogations across the state.
