The Bombay High Court on Friday, March 27, rejected a plea seeking a CBI investigation into Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and its chairman Mukesh Ambani for allegedly siphoning over USD 1.55 billion worth of natural gas from ONGC wells in the Krishna Godavari Basin off Andhra Pradesh.
The petition was filed by Jitendra P. Maru, who requested that the court direct the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Union of India to act against RIL.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Suman Shyam dismissed the petition in open court, stating that anyone approaching the court must demonstrate honesty and transparency. The judges said Maru’s petition “fails on every count” and is motivated by improper intentions.
The bench noted that the plea relied on observations made by the Delhi High Court in 2003, during an earlier dispute between RIL and the government. The judges remarked that issuing directions for an FIR based on such old observations is not in the public interest. They highlighted that criminal proceedings carry serious consequences, and Maru had no explanation for the delay in approaching the court if he genuinely believed a crime had occurred.
The court further observed that the petition, presented as a public interest litigation, does not serve any public purpose. The judges said such petitions are often filed by disgruntled competitors or individuals with ulterior motives, and they can harm the reputation and business prospects of the targeted company, potentially affecting existing or future business partnerships.
Concluding that the petition was an abuse of the judicial process, the bench dismissed it.
The petition had alleged that between 2004 and 2013-14, RIL engaged in organized fraud by drilling sideways from its deep-sea wells into neighboring ONGC wells and illegally extracting natural gas. ONGC discovered the alleged tapping in 2013 and reported it to the government.
RIL argued that the gas was “migratory” and claimed it had the right to extract it. An independent investigation by De Golyer and Macnaghten confirmed that RIL had tapped ONGC wells without permission. The Justice AP Shah Committee later estimated the value of the extracted gas at over USD 1.55 billion, with interest of USD 174.9 million.
Previously, RIL had won an Arbitral Award in its favor, but the Delhi High Court, in a February 14, 2025, order, set it aside, ruling that the award was against public policy.
Maru’s petition also claimed the alleged scheme was planned in Mumbai, giving the CBI jurisdiction to investigate. He sought registration of a criminal case against RIL and its directors for theft, misappropriation, and breach of trust, along with seizure of relevant documents and formal charges against all involved.
