The Supreme Court has granted bail to Sanjay Badaya, an alleged middleman implicated in a money laundering case tied to the Rajasthan Jal Jeevan Mission scheme. The decision came from a bench comprising Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan, who questioned the Enforcement Directorate (ED) about the involvement of other potential high-profile individuals, including a former minister.
The Jal Jeevan Mission, a central government initiative implemented in Rajasthan by the state’s public health engineering department, aims to provide safe and adequate drinking water through household tap connections. Allegations of corruption linked to the scheme surfaced, leading to an ED investigation derived from an initial FIR by Rajasthan’s anti-corruption bureau.
During the hearing, the Supreme Court bench highlighted the absence of charges against the former Rajasthan minister Mahesh Joshi, under whose tenure the alleged irregularities occurred. Joshi was a prominent figure in the previous Congress-led state government. The court pointed out that despite significant allegations, the documentation of the case was substantial, encompassing around 8,000 pages with more than 50 witnesses yet to be examined.
Sanjay Badaya’s arrest by the ED in July was part of a broader sweep that included searches at premises in Jaipur and Dausa, affecting senior officials and other contractors linked to the public health department. Co-accused Piyush Jain, who had a similar level of alleged involvement, was granted bail by the Supreme Court earlier in September, a fact noted by the justices when considering Badaya’s plea.
The bench emphasized that the primary evidence against Badaya was documentary and already in the possession of the ED, reducing the risk of interference. The Supreme Court’s order to grant bail was based on these considerations, coupled with ongoing investigations that have yet to conclusively determine the roles of all involved.
