Ex-Rajasthan Minister Mahesh Joshi Arrested By ACB In Major Corruption Case
ACB arrests former Rajasthan minister Mahesh Joshi in ₹900 crore Jal Jeevan Mission scam bribery probe.
The Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Thursday arrested former state minister Mahesh Joshi from his residence in Jaipur in connection with the alleged ₹900-crore Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scam. Officials said the arrest was made early in the morning after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) reached his residence in San Colony near Jaipur Railway Station around 5 a.m.
According to the ACB, Joshi has been accused of misusing his position as the then Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) minister and allegedly accepting bribes in exchange for awarding government tenders under the Jal Jeevan Mission. The agency has been investigating alleged irregularities in the implementation of the centrally sponsored drinking water scheme in Rajasthan.
The case had already seen multiple developments over the past year. Joshi was previously arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in April 2025 in a related money laundering investigation linked to the same alleged scam. He reportedly remained in judicial custody for around seven months before being granted bail by the Supreme Court in December 2025.
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The ACB had registered a formal First Information Report (FIR) against Joshi and several others in late 2024. Since then, multiple arrests have been made, including government officials and contractors allegedly involved in the execution and allocation of tenders under the project. Authorities also confirmed that at least three accused individuals in the case are currently absconding.
Investigators allege that the scam involves large-scale irregularities in tender allocation and execution of water supply projects under the Jal Jeevan Mission, which is aimed at providing piped drinking water to rural households. The ACB has claimed that public funds were misused through manipulated contracts and bribery networks involving officials and private contractors.
Officials said further questioning of Joshi and other accused is expected as the investigation continues to trace financial transactions and establish the full extent of the alleged corruption network. The arrest marks a significant escalation in one of Rajasthan’s major ongoing anti-corruption probes involving former high-ranking political figures.
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