The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the state home department and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director general, seeking their responses regarding the arrest of former Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED) minister Mahesh Joshi in the alleged Jal Jeevan Mission scam case. A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice B S Sandhu took up the matter during the preliminary hearing of a habeas corpus petition filed by Joshi’s son, Rohit Joshi.
Petition Alleges Violation of Legal Procedures
The petition contended that although the ACB arrested Mahesh Joshi on May 7, the authorities failed to provide written grounds of arrest to the family, as mandated under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). The petitioner argued that investigating agencies are legally bound to inform family members in writing about the reasons for an arrest. The plea asserted that this failure to follow mandatory procedures rendered the arrest illegal, thereby vitiating the police remand and all subsequent proceedings arising from it. On these grounds, the petitioner sought Joshi’s immediate release.
Court Directs Authorities to Submit Replies
After hearing the preliminary submissions, the high court issued notices to the concerned authorities and directed them to file their replies. The court has not yet set a date for the next hearing. Joshi was arrested by the ACB on May 7 in connection with alleged irregularities in the Jal Jeevan Mission project. He was later produced before a court, which initially sent him to police custody for interrogation before remanding him to judicial custody.
Previous Arrest by Enforcement Directorate
Earlier in 2025, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had also arrested Joshi in the same case. However, he later secured bail from the Supreme Court. The ACB’s arrest came after the ED’s investigation, and the two agencies are probing different aspects of the alleged scam.
Other Developments in the Case
Meanwhile, the high court has reserved its order on the bail applications of co-accused Shubhanshu Dixit, Niril Kumar, Sushil Kumar, Dinesh Goyal, and Arun Srivastava, who are currently in judicial custody. Arguments have also concluded on the bail plea of former IAS officer Subodh Agarwal in the ACB court, and the matter is awaiting orders. The Jal Jeevan Mission scam involves alleged irregularities in the implementation of water supply schemes, and multiple arrests have been made in connection with the case.
