On 27 March 2026, the Bombay High Court firmly turned down a petition that asked for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into allegations against Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and its chairman Mukesh Ambani relating to claims of unauthorised natural gas extraction from neighbouring fields of the state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).
The case stems from a long-running dispute over gas resources in the Krishna-Godavari Basin, off the coast of Andhra Pradesh, where it was alleged that RIL’s production operations tapped into reservoirs assigned to ONGC, potentially diverting gas worth more than USD 1.55 billion. The petition was filed by activist Jitendra P. Maru, who urged the court to order the CBI to investigate and register an FIR for criminal offences including theft and breach of trust.
However, a division bench led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Suman Shyam refused the request, saying the petition did not show sufficient public-interest grounds and was filed “without clean hands.” The court emphasised that petitions seeking criminal probes must be grounded in solid facts and genuine public cause, warning that baseless claims can damage reputations and business relations.
The judges noted that allowing such petitions on speculative allegations could have serious consequences for corporate entities and investor confidence. They underscored the legal threshold for ordering investigative action — one that goes beyond public commentary or civil disputes and requires clear prima facie evidence of wrongdoing.
The court’s dismissal effectively ends this latest effort to bring the matter before the CBI, though the underlying KG Basin dispute has seen other legal twists in recent years, including arbitration and Delhi High Court challenges.
