Daijiworld Media Network- Jaipur
Jaipur, Apr 28: Congress leader and former Rajasthan Minister Mahesh Joshi, currently in Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody over the Rs 900-crore Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scam, was granted interim bail for four days on humanitarian grounds following the demise of his wife, Kaushal Joshi, on Monday morning.
Kaushal Joshi, who had been undergoing treatment at Manipal Hospital in Jaipur, passed away earlier in the day. Joshi, who was produced before the special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court as his remand period ended, received the tragic news during the proceedings. His counsel immediately sought a seven-day interim bail, but the court allowed a four-day relief.
Mahesh Joshi was arrested by the ED on April 24. During his initial appearance, the ED had sought a seven-day remand; however, the court granted only four days. Joshi is among several individuals arrested so far, including Piyush Jain, Padam Chand Jain, Mahesh Mittal, and Sanjay Badaya.
The Jal Jeevan Mission scam, a major controversy in Rajasthan, pertains to large-scale irregularities in a central government project aimed at providing tap water to rural households. Investigations have revealed contractors used inferior HDPE pipes instead of the mandated ductile iron (DI) pipes, reused old pipelines, or in many instances, laid none at all while claiming funds.
Further, companies such as Shyam Tubewell Company and Shri Ganapati Tubewell Company allegedly secured lucrative tenders using fake experience certificates, reportedly with the backing of certain officials and political connections. Materials like stolen pipes were also allegedly sourced and installed fraudulently.
The scam initially came to light following an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) probe. Later, the Enforcement Directorate registered a case under the PMLA, conducting multiple raids on key suspects. Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) too registered its own FIR on May 3, 2024, intensifying the multi-agency crackdown on the scam.