The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, ordered the release of Sanjay Badaya and Shubhanshu Dixit in the Rajasthan Public Health Engineering Department case, citing pre‑trial incarceration concerns and the risk of punitive detention before the trial could reasonably be concluded.
The case stems from alleged financial mismanagement within the Jal Jeevan Mission, with Dixit having served as secretary of the Rajasthan Water Supply and Sewerage Management Board from December 2022 to February 2024, effectively acting as the PHED Finance Committee secretary during that period.
In its judgment, the bench emphasized that pre‑trial detention cannot masquerade as punitive when the trial is far off, noting that the investigation is still incomplete and the evidence volume is substantial, thereby invoking Article 21’s protection of personal liberty.
Earlier, the Rajasthan High Court had dismissed the bail petitions of Badaya and Dixit; the Supreme Court set aside those orders, directing the trial court to monitor compliance, allow bail bonds, and sanction bail cancellation if conditions are breached.
The ruling comes as the larger probe has already granted bail to PHED minister Mahesh Chandra Joshi, and the trial court will set dates for the accused’s appearance in the coming weeks.