India's Supreme Court extended bail on Friday, 16 October 2026, to former Congress minister Mahesh Joshi in connection with the Jal Jeevan Mission case, with the bench observing that holding an accused in custody for extended periods before any verdict amounts to imposing punishment ahead of a finding of guilt, running counter to constitutional protections.

The bench, comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu, extended the same relief to co-accused Mukesh Pathak, overturning a Rajasthan High Court ruling dated 13 August that had withheld regular bail for both men. In its order, the court noted that allegations of widespread financial misconduct and institutional coordination in the rollout of a public infrastructure scheme such as the Jal Jeevan Mission carried sufficient weight to demand thorough examination.

The prosecution's position holds that bail should be withheld from those facing allegations tied to criminal conduct of the breadth and scale described in the case. The bench noted, however, that the weight of the charges alone cannot override every factor bearing on whether bail is granted, nor does it warrant holding an accused without trial for an indefinite period.

Prosecutors had concluded their inquiry into both defendants and submitted formal chargesheets, the bench observed. Documents and electronic records already held by the investigating agency form the foundation of the prosecution's case, and the court's order noted that any prospect of interference with that body of evidence had been largely addressed, and that neither defendant was needed for further questioning in custody or for the retrieval of materials.

The case stems from an Anti-Corruption Bureau inquiry into procurement irregularities within Rajasthan's Public Health Engineering Department, specifically tender processes conducted under the Jal Jeevan Mission. Prosecutors allege that two companies submitted bids across 237 procurement rounds spanning 2022 and 2023, relying on falsified work-completion records and acceptance letters fraudulently attributed to IRCON International Limited.

According to the allegations, those companies used those credentials to secure lowest-bidder status across 104 procurement tenders, with the combined value of the resulting work orders reaching ₹979.45 crore.

The bench noted the considerable scope of the proceedings: 22 individuals facing charges, three separate chargesheets, 124 witnesses lined up for the prosecution, and a documentary record extending across 20,000 pages. The court further noted that, with formal charges still pending, a resolution at trial was not expected in the near term.

The bench also took into account that several co-accused had already been granted bail or interim relief, and on that basis determined that keeping Joshi and Pathak in pre-trial custody served no justifiable purpose, adding that any legitimate concerns held by the prosecution could be addressed through suitable conditions attached to the release.

Both individuals were granted bail contingent on their submitting the required bonds and sureties in a form acceptable to the trial court. The court directed that neither appellant contact, whether directly or through intermediaries, any witness with knowledge of the case, nor interfere with evidence held by the prosecution. The bench noted that any violation of these terms — or an unexcused absence from proceedings before the trial court — would leave that court free to revoke the bail of the appellant concerned and take such further action as the law permits.

Joshi's legal representation comprised senior advocates Sidharth Luthra and Siddharth Aggarwal, with advocate Vivek Jain also part of the team arguing on his behalf.