Jaipur: The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday has provided a major relief to the Former Rajasthan Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Minister Mahesh Joshi in the alleged Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scam. The top court has granted regular bail to Joshi and co-accused Mukesh Pathak in the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) case.
Joshi, a minister in the previous Rajasthan government, has been in custody since his arrest in this case.
This Supreme Court decision is expected to pave the way for his release in this case. However, the necessary legal formalities must be completed and there must be no other legal hurdles.
What is the Jal Jeevan Mission Scam?
This case involves alleged irregularities in the allocation of government contracts worth hundreds of crores of rupees under the Jal Jeevan Mission. The allegations include corruption and bribery in the awarding of tenders.
A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu heard arguments on Joshi’s bail plea on October 12 and reserved its decision. The court has now granted bail to the former minister.
Rajasthan High Court Rejects Bail Plea
Earlier, in August 2026, the Rajasthan High Court rejected the bail pleas of Joshi and eight other accused, including former IAS officer Subodh Agarwal.
A single bench of Justice Vipin Gupta cited the gravity of the charges and the significant financial impact on the state’s exchequer.
Joshi subsequently challenged the High Court order in the Supreme Court, seeking relief in the ACB case.
ED Also Arrested
Joshi has faced action from multiple investigating agencies in the Jal Jeevan Mission case. In April 2025, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him in a money laundering case related to the alleged scam.
After nearly seven months in custody, the Supreme Court granted him regular bail on December 3, 2025. At that time, the court took into account his detention period and age, which was stated to be 71 years old.
However, the Rajasthan ACB re-arrested him on May 7, 2026, from his residence in Jaipur in a separate corruption case. This case involved alleged irregularities and bribery in tenders worth over ₹900 crore.
Joshi was in ACB custody in this case until he was granted bail by the Supreme Court.
Allegations of irregularities in Jal Jeevan Mission contracts
Jal Jeevan Mission is a central government scheme aimed at providing drinking water through taps to rural families. The central and state governments have spent significant sums on implementing this scheme in Rajasthan.
Investigating agencies have alleged irregularities in the allocation of contracts. These include allegations of the use of forged documents, unfair benefits to certain companies, and bribery between officials and middlemen.
Questions have also been raised about the quality of materials used in the projects. The ED and Rajasthan ACB are investigating these alleged irregularities in their respective cases.
The Supreme Court’s bail order provides relief to Mahesh Joshi in the ACB case. However, bail does not constitute acquittal. Judicial proceedings will continue on the charges in the case.