Overview

• On June 24, a Mumbai special PMLA court issued a show-cause notice to Arthur Road Jail superintendent Harshad Ahirrrao for not complying with its May 14 order to provide Jain food.
• Riteshkumar Shah, in custody since March 29 for alleged money-laundering in the Malegaon case, had petitioned on May 9 for meals aligned with his lifelong Jain faith.
• Despite the court’s directive, Shah survived on chapatis alone for over a month, leading to significant weight loss and health concerns.
• Jail officials maintain they delivered meals without onion and garlic but point to the Jail Manual’s lack of guidance on religious dietary provisions.
• The court framed the denial of religiously required meals as a breach of Shah’s constitutional right to life and personal liberty under Article 21.