SC grants bail to Sanjay Badaya, Shubhanshu Dixit in JJM graft case

Jaipur: Supreme Court Tuesday granted bail to Sanjay Badaya and Shubhanshu Dixit, accused in state public health engineering department’s (PHED) alleged multi-crore corruption related to Jal Jeevan Mission, while setting aside the Rajasthan High Court orders that rejected their bail pleas.A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu held that the investigation against the two accused had been completed and chargesheets filed. “The prosecution case predominantly rested on documentary records and electronic trails, which had already been seized and were in the custody of the investigating agency, substantially reducing the apprehension of tampering with evidence,” the court said.The case arose from an ACB FIR related to corruption in Jal Jeevan Mission registered at the Anti-Corruption Bureau police station, Jaipur, on Oct 30, 2024. The FIR invoked provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC in connection with alleged irregularities in execution of the Jal Jeevan Mission.According to the prosecution case recorded in the order, forged work-experience and completion certificates were allegedly used by two private firms to secure around 104 tenders worth approximately Rs 979.45 crore. The ACB subsequently filed its chargesheet on April 12, 2026, followed by a supplementary chargesheet on June 29, naming Badaya and Dixit among the accused.Dixit, then secretary of the Rajasthan Water Supply and Sewerage Management Board and de facto secretary of the PHED Finance Committee, was arrested on Feb 17, 2026. Badaya, described by the prosecution as an alleged intermediary, was arrested on May 11, 2026.“Since the trial was likely to be prolonged given the voluminous evidence, 124 proposed prosecution witnesses, pending investigation against some accused and absconding accused, both the accused can be released on bail. They must join the investigation if called and appear before the trial court on dates fixed,” the court said.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Jaipur | Silver Rate in Jaipur | Bank Holidays in Jaipur | Public Holidays in Jaipur | Jaipur AQI | Weather in Jaipur | Petrol Price in Jaipur | Diesel Price in Jaipur | CNG Price in Jaipur | LPG Price in JaipurStay updated with the latest Jaipur news. Download the TOI App.