HC denies bail to former minister Joshi in JJM case

Jaipur: Rajasthan High Court Tuesday denied bail to former minister Mahesh Joshi, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on April 24 in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scam. Justice Praveer Bhatnagar rejected Joshi's bail application after considering arguments from his defense counsel and the ED. Joshi's lawyer, Vivek Raj Bajwa, contended that his client's name was not part of the initial case filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and criticised the ED for lacking concrete evidence of Joshi's involvement. Bajwa highlighted a transaction of Rs 50 lakh involving Joshi's son's firm, asserting that this amount was a loan rather than proceeds of crime, and noted that it had been repaid. He further argued that the case against Joshi relied heavily on statements from co-accused individuals, lacking substantial evidence connecting him to any money laundering activities. ED counsel Akshay Bhardwaj argued that Joshi's involvement extended beyond facilitating the actions of co-accused, including Sanjay Badaya, a middleman allegedly involved in bribery. Bhardwaj emphasised Joshi's significant role as a minister in the JJM scam, where he allegedly approved forged certificates and facilitated bribes amounting to Rs 2.1 crore.