Rajasthan Jal Jeevan Mission scheme: Supreme Court grants bail to 'middleman' in ED case

Supreme Court grants bail to middleman in Rajasthan money laundering case linked to Jal Jeevan Mission scheme

The Supreme Court on Tuesday (December 17, 2024) granted bail to an alleged middleman arrested in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in Rajasthan's Jal Jeevan Mission scheme.

While granting Sanjay Badaya a reprieve, a Bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and K.V. Viswanathan asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) whether the then Minister of the department concerned, on whose behalf the accused allegedly received money, was made an accused in the case.

"Admittedly, the said Minister has not been made an accused in the present case," the Bench observed. The ED counsel said the investigation was underway.

The Bench granted bail to Mr. Badaya observing substantial evidence in the case was documentary in nature and the ED had seized the documents. It said charges were yet to be framed with over 50 witnesses still to be examined and the evidence ran into about 8,000 pages.

The Centre's water scheme aimed at providing safe and adequate drinking water through household tap connections. The State's Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) was implemented in Rajasthan. The ED's money laundering case stems from an FIR registered by Rajasthan's anti-corruption bureau.

Premises in Jaipur and Dausa, including the residential and official ones of senior PHED officials, former Rajasthan Minister Mahesh Joshi, and former additional chief secretary Subodh Agarwal, were searched by the ED in connection with the probe.

Mr. Joshi was a Minister in the previous Congress Government in Rajasthan.

The Supreme Court passed its order on Mr. Badaya's plea, filed through advocate Vivek Jain, challenging the November 11 order of the Rajasthan High Court dismissing his bail plea. He was arrested by the ED in July.

During the hearing, the Bench observed that allegations levelled against Mr. Badaya were almost similar to those made against co-accused Piyush Jain who was granted bail by the Supreme Court in September.

"You show us what is the role attributed to the present petitioner," the Bench asked the ED's counsel, who alleged he was a middleman. The Bench noted Mr. Badaya was alleged to have facilitated awards of contracts from the PHED and was receiving money on behalf of the then Minister of the department concerned.

The probe agency had arrested — Mahesh Mittal, proprietor of Shree Ganpati Tubewell Company, Padamchand Jain, proprietor of Shree Shyam Tubewell Company, and Piyush Jain.

Mr. Badaya, the ED claimed, was "in receipt of bribe" from the accused firms in order to facilitate favourable treatment. He was also "influencing" officials of the PHED in carrying out their duties, it claimed.

Published - December 17, 2024 04:30 pm IST