Legal challenges are mounting for Rajasthan's former Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Minister, Mahesh Joshi, as the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has registered a case against him and 20 others, including two firms, over alleged irregularities in the Jal Jeevan Mission.
This follows earlier investigations by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the case. With the ACB's involvement, Joshi and other accused individuals may face further questioning as investigators dig deeper into the corruption allegations.
ACB Director General Ravi Prakash Meharda confirmed that a formal case has been filed based on a report from Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Vishna Ram.
The case implicates Joshi, PHED officials, contractors, and private individuals associated with the mission’s alleged misconduct. The First Information Report (FIR) names notable figures, including former minister Mahesh Joshi, Jal Jeevan Mission Financial Advisor Sushil Sharma, former PHED Chief Engineer Ramkaran Meena, and various contractors and engineers.
The firms under investigation are Shri Ganapati Tubewell Company and Shri Shyam Tubewell Company, both based in Shahpura (Jaipur). Other individuals named in the FIR include Sanjay Badaya, Kishan Gupta, Tapan Gupta, and Naman Khandelwal.
Previously, the ED had launched an investigation into suspected illegal financial transactions connected to the Jal Jeevan Mission. Arrests were made, including those of Padam Chand Jain and Mahesh Mittal.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also filed a case against PHED officials and other individuals, intensifying scrutiny around the alleged corruption.
Now, the ACB’s involvement adds further pressure on those implicated, as officials aim to trace the funds and verify project execution claims.
The Jal Jeevan Mission, which seeks to provide clean drinking water to rural households, has come under increased examination after ACB officials arrested PHED contractors and officials on bribery charges just ahead of Rajasthan’s assembly elections.
These arrests revealed a bribery scheme related to the clearance of project payments. The investigation has reportedly uncovered instances of payments being issued for incomplete work, such as pipeline installations. Allegations have also emerged regarding the use of stolen pipes sourced from Haryana for the project.
In a separate development, former Urban Development and Housing (UDH) Minister Shanti Dhariwal is also facing renewed legal challenges. In the ongoing "single lease case," the Supreme Court has overturned earlier orders by the Rajasthan High Court, which had dismissed the case against Dhariwal.
The High Court’s previous ruling had also permitted the withdrawal of prosecution against former IAS officer G.S. Sandhu and other officials. The Supreme Court has now instructed the High Court to rehear the case, requiring the state government to present its arguments in the proceedings.
These developments bring increased scrutiny on both Joshi and Dhariwal, two prominent former ministers, as Rajasthan’s political climate intensifies ahead of the upcoming by-elections for seven state assembly seats on 13th November.
