Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau Arrests Former PHED Minister Mahesh Joshi from His Jaipur Residence on 7 May 2026 in the Rs 960 Crore Jal Jeevan Mission Tender Scam; Court Remands Him to ACB Custody Till 11 May

The Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau on 7 May 2026 arrested former Public Health Engineering Department Minister Mahesh Joshi from his residence near Jaipur Railway Station at around 5:30 am in connection with the alleged Rs 960 crore Jal Jeevan Mission tender scam. The arrest was carried out by the ACB Special Investigation Team and follows a multi-state probe in which the agency had earlier raided 15 locations across the country. Investigators allege that Joshi, who held charge of the PHED portfolio in the previous Congress-led state government, misused his position to favour select contractors in the award of Jal Jeevan Mission works funded under the Centre's flagship rural drinking water scheme, with fake completion certificates and forged documents being used to secure large government tenders, and that bribes were accepted in exchange. After the arrest, Joshi was produced before a Special Judge ACB Court in Jaipur on 7 May 2026 and remanded to ACB custody till 11 May 2026 for further interrogation. The Enforcement Directorate had earlier arrested Joshi in a parallel money-laundering case linked to the same alleged scam. The case is one of the largest corruption investigations in Rajasthan and has direct implications for governance, tender integrity, and accountability in the implementation of the Centre's Jal Jeevan Mission, which aims to provide functional household tap connections to every rural household.