Bombay High Court rejects plea for CBI probe against Reliance over gas extraction from ONGC fields

The Bombay High Court on Friday dismissed a petition seeking a criminal investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into allegations that Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) unlawfully extracted natural gas from the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s (ONGC) Krishna–Godavari Basin fields [Jitendra Maru v. Central Bureau of Investigation & Ors.],

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Suman Shyam passed the order.

Detailed order awaited.

The petition, filed by activist Jitendra Maru, alleged that RIL drilled deep-sea wells between 2004 and 2013–14 in a manner that enabled gas from adjoining ONGC blocks to migrate into its KG-D6 block. 

Maru described the process as a “massive organised fraud.” 

He sought the registration of an FIR for the alleged offences of theft, dishonest misappropriation, and criminal breach of trust, besides directions to the CBI to seize drilling data, contracts, and government reports.

The High Court had earlier sought responses from the CBI and the Union government to Maru’s plea. 

The plea relied on the findings from a DeGolyer & MacNaughton (D&M) report and a committee headed by retired Justice AP Shah. Both reports concluded that RIL had tapped into ONGC’s reserves, valued at over $1.55 billion.

The dispute originates from a production-sharing contract (PSC) for gas extraction in the KG basin, signed in April 2000 between the Union government and RIL (with its consortium partners). 

The conflict escalated in 2013 when ONGC asserted that RIL's block and their reservoirs had lateral continuity.

While an international arbitration tribunal initially ruled in favour of RIL in July 2018, this award was later set aside by the Delhi High Court in February 2025. The High Court deemed the award to be against the public policy of India. 

Consequently, Maru’s petition sought to utilise this development to argue that the matter extends beyond civil or arbitral territory and potentially involves criminal liability. This plea has been dismissed today by the High Court.

Advocate Akshay Pawar appeared for Maru.

Advocate Kuldeep Patil appeared for CBI.