Jaipur, August 14: The Rajasthan High Court has dealt a significant blow to former Water Supply Minister Mahesh Joshi by rejecting his bail application in a corruption case linked to the Jal Jeevan Mission.
The court also denied bail to former IAS officer Subodh Agarwal and several other accused in the case. After hearing arguments from both sides, the single bench of the Rajasthan High Court issued its order.
This case pertains to alleged financial irregularities and corruption in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission in Rajasthan, with an estimated scam amounting to around ₹20,000 crores.
Alongside Mahesh Joshi and Subodh Agarwal, the court also dismissed bail applications for other accused individuals, including Sanjay Badaya, Mahendra Prakash Soni, Krishnadeep Gupta, Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, Dilip Kumar Gaur, and Mukesh Pathak.
The accused had sought relief from the court, but after considering the arguments presented during the hearing, the bench denied their bail requests.
During the proceedings, Additional Advocate General Rajesh Chaudhary represented the Rajasthan government, opposing the bail applications alongside lawyers Neha Goyal, Aman Agarwal, and Vinod Kumar Sharma. The state argued that the case involves serious allegations of extensive financial irregularities and abuse of government positions related to the Jal Jeevan Mission.
The prosecution contended that given the nature of the allegations and the accused’s alleged roles, their bail applications should be rejected. Ultimately, the court dismissed the applications.
Advocate Snehdeep, representing Mahesh Joshi, argued that the former minister was arrested nearly a year and a half after the FIR was filed. The defense further noted that while Joshi was in the custody of the Enforcement Directorate from April to December 2025, the Anti-Corruption Bureau did not seek his custody during that period.
Advocate Sudhir Jain, representing former SE Mahendra Prakash Soni, argued that multiple FIRs were filed based on the same facts. He also pointed out that directors of the contracting firm had already received relief and claimed that due to the extensive nature of the charges and proceedings, the trial could take considerable time.
In opposing the bail applications, Additional Advocate General Rajesh Chaudhary and Advocate Aman Agarwal argued that Mahesh Joshi was the head of the relevant department as the then-in-charge minister and allegedly colluded with other accused individuals.
The prosecution alleged that tenders were awarded using forged documents at predetermined rates and insisted that a judicial investigation into these allegations should continue.
After hearing arguments from both the defense and prosecution, the Rajasthan High Court rejected the bail applications of Mahesh Joshi and the other accused.
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