Overview

• Jay Joshi was granted bail on June 5 after his arrest by the Mumbai police’s Economic Offences Wing on May 6 in connection with alleged inflated equipment hire deals for the desilting project.
• The detailed bail order made public on June 11 noted that Ketan Kadam, not Joshi, handled the machine rental transactions and that no evidence pointed to forgery in tenders or MoUs.
• Investigators alleged the scam caused a Rs 65 crore loss to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, but the court found no prima facie proof that Joshi inflated equipment hire rates.
• The court criticized the prosecution for failing to inform Joshi’s family in writing at the time of his arrest, highlighting lapses in mandatory arrest procedures.
• Two BMC officials implicated in the case have obtained interim protection from arrest as their pre-arrest bail applications await court hearings.