NEW DELHI: The anti-graft central probe agency CBI has been conducting searches at the premises of former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik here and 29 other locations across the country in connection with a case of alleged corruption in awarding civil contracts for J&K’s Kiru Hydro Power Project, officials said on Thursday.
According to the a spokesperson in the CBI, the places covered under the search operation included Jammu, Srinagar, Delhi, Gurugram, Mumbai, Baghpat, Noida, Patna, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Barmer, Nagaur and Chandigarh. 100 sleuths of the CBI started the operation in the morning, he added.
“During searches, evidence of huge cash deposits, investment in fixed deposits, investment in properties in various cities, digital and documentary evidence have been recovered, the spokesperson said.
The premises linked to Malik at RK Puram, Dwarka and Asian Games Village in Delhi, besides those in Gurugram and Baghpat, were searched, the officials said, adding that the CBI’s search team also swooped down at the premises of alleged associates of Malik, former chairman of the Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Limited Navin Kumar Chaudhary and officials of Patel Engineering Limited.
Reacting over the development Malik in one of his ‘X’ posts said, “I have been ill for the last 3-4 days and am admitted to the hospital. Despite this, my house is being raided by the dictator through government agencies. My driver and my assistant are also being raided and harassed unnecessarily. I am a farmer’s son, I will not be afraid of these raids. I am with the farmers.”
The case, which was registered on April 20, 2022 against officials of Chenab Valley Power Projects (P) Ltd. (CVPPPL), which is executing the project, a private company and unknown others, pertains to alleged corruption in awarding a civil-work contract worth Rs 2,200 crore.
In its FIR the CBI has alleged that in award of civil works relating to Kiru Hydroelectric Project, guidelines regarding e-tendering were not followed. “It was also alleged that though a decision was taken in 47th board meeting of CVPPPL for re-tender through e-tendering with reverse auction, after cancellation of ongoing tendering process, same was not implemented and the decision of 47th board meeting, was reversed in the 48th board meeting,” the CBI said.
Malik, who was the governor of Jammu and Kashmir from August 23, 2018 to October 30, 2019, had claimed that he was offered a Rs 300-crore bribe for clearing two files, including the one pertaining to the Kiru Hydro Electric project.