Key Aide Of Former Minister Arrested In Rajasthan Scam

A close aide of a former Rajasthan minister has been arrested in connection with the Rs 960-crore Jal Jeevan Mission scam, intensifying the investigation into alleged corruption.

Rajasthan's Anti-Corruption Bureau on Monday arrested Sanjay Badaya, considered a close aide of former state minister Mahesh Joshi, in connection with the alleged Rs 960-crore Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scam.

The development comes days after the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on May 7 arrested Joshi, a former Congress minister, in the case.

Details Of The Arrest

Officials said that Badaya, who was taken into custody at the Delhi airport early Monday morning, was produced before a court and was remanded to three days of police custody.

Earlier, the DG of ACB, Govind Gupta, said Badaya, who was returning from Thailand, was detained at the Delhi airport in the wee hours of Monday and added that he was being brought to Jaipur.

Badaya's Alleged Role In The Scam

According to the ACB, Badaya is suspected to be the mastermind of the alleged scam and is accused of acting as a middleman in the case.

After placing him under arrest, he was produced before the court which remanded him to police custody for three days, the officials said.

Previous Arrest And Bail

In 2024, the Enforcement Directorate had arrested Badaya but was granted bail by the Supreme Court.

Three other accused in the case are still absconding, the officials said.

Background Of The Case

Joshi, who was the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) minister during the previous Congress government, was earlier arrested by the ED in April 2025 in a money laundering case linked to the alleged scam. He remained in jail for around seven months before being granted bail by the Supreme Court in December.