Bombay High Court Rejects FIR Plea Against Reliance in ONGC Gas Case

Bombay High Court dismissed a plea seeking FIR against Reliance Industries over alleged gas extraction from ONGC wells, calling it baseless and delayed. The court ruled it lacked public interest and termed it misuse of judicial process.

Post Published By: Karan Sharma

Updated : 28 March 2026, 12:50 AM IST

High Court Refuses Criminal Case Against RIL (Image Source: Internet)

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has rejected a plea seeking that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) be ordered to register an FIR against Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and its officials. The allegation was that the company extracted gas from the gas wells of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) without permission.

What were the allegations?

The petitioner claimed that between 2004 and 2014, Reliance extracted gas from nearby ONGC wells through “sideway drilling”. A 2015 report and a committee inquiry were cited in support of this allegation, which also assessed the alleged damages.

What did the court say?

The High Court clearly said that this petition has been filed “without solid basis” and with “bad intentions”. The Court found that:

• The petitioner could not prove any public interest
• There was a delay of about 15 years in the case
• The allegations have no strong legal basis
• The court also said that ordering registration of FIR is a serious step, hence it cannot be taken lightly.

CBI and Reliance's side

CBI told the court that this matter is not a criminal but a civil dispute, hence there is no need for FIR. The agency also informed that the complaint has already been closed in 2025.

At the same time, Reliance said that:

• The petitioner hid many important facts
• This dispute is already in legal process
• An arbitration award in 2018 has been awarded in favor of the company.

Why did the court reject the petition?

The court considered that this petition is an “abuse” of the judicial process. The petitioner has not been able to prove that the matter is related to public interest. Also, such a long delay also became a big reason for the court.

Reliance has got a big relief from this decision. It also became clear that the court will not interfere in such serious cases without solid evidence and true intentions.

This case also shows that not every allegation is criminal—sometimes disputes are civil or contractual, which are resolved differently.