Bombay High Court Dismisses Plea Seeking CBI Probe Into Reliance's Alleged $1.55 Billion Gas Theft From ONGC

The Bombay High Court on Friday (March 27) dismissed a plea seeking a CBI probe against Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani over alleged siphoning of natural gas worth over USD 1.55 billion from ONGC wells in the Krishna-Godavari Basin.

The plea was filed by Jitendra P. Maru, an Indian citizen, urging the court to direct the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Union of India to take action.

A bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Suman Shyam dismissed the plea

The plea had earlier been heard by a bench of Justices A S Gadkari and Ranjitsinh N Raja Bhonsale, which issued notice to the CBI and the Union government on November 4, 2025.

The matter was subsequently posted before the Chief Justice's bench, who ultimately dismissed it on Friday.

Maru's plea alleged that RIL carried out a “massive organised fraud” between 2004 and 2013–14 by drilling into adjoining ONGC wells in the Krishna-Godavari Basin and extracting gas without authorisation, which ONGC detected in 2013.

While RIL claimed the gas was “migratory,” an independent study by DeGolyer and MacNaughton (D&M) reportedly found unauthorised extraction, with the A.P. Shah Committee pegging the value at over USD 1.55 billion plus interest. Though an arbitral award had favored RIL, the Delhi High Court set it aside in February 2025 as contrary to public policy.

The plea sought a CBI probe, registration of criminal offences, and seizure of records, alleging the conspiracy originated in Mumbai.