Balganga Dam Irrigation Scam: Legal Questions Arise After Transfer Of High-Profile Case

Key Highlights

• Finally, in 2025, Special Judge GT Pawar framed charges against all the accused and formally commenced the trial.
• This raised hopes that the long-pending case would move forward. However, in December 2025, accused Nisar Khatri filed an application before the Principal District Judge, Thane, seeking transfer of the case from Judge GT Pawar.
• Principal District Judge SB Agrawal rejected this application sternly, calling it frivolous and imposing a fine of ₹20,000 on Khatri. Also Read: BMC Number Game: BJP Wins Big, But Needs Support To RuleDespite this, the case has now been transferred from Judge GT Pawar to Judge Durgaprasad Deshpande through an administrative order.
• This step has been taken at a time when a judicial transfer request had recently been rejected. Legal experts say that administrative transfers are part of routine procedure, but against the backdrop of the transfer petition being rejected and a fine imposed, this change appears unusual. The controversy is further fueled by the fact that in October 2025, the state government did not challenge the Bombay High Court’s order directing it to pay ₹303 crore to Nisar Khatri in the Balganga Dam case before the Supreme Court. The Balganga irrigation scam has also had a deep political impact.
• At one time, it severely damaged the image of the then Congress-NCP government.