In relation to the Kiru Hydropower project, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided the residence of former governor Satya Pal Malik on Thursday, February 22.
According to the news agency, about a hundred officers descended on Malik’s home and 29 other locations in several cities to conduct searches.
The case, according to the CBI, has to do with purported corruption in the project’s awarding of civil works valued at Rs 2,200 crore.
Malik was the governor of Jammu & Kashmir from August 23, 2018, to October 30, 2019. When Malik was still a governor, he had stated that he had received an offer of Rs 300 crore in exchange for clearing two files, one of which was related to the project.
In conjunction with the investigation, the investigative agency has previously detained former Chenab Valley Power Projects (P) Ltd chairman Navin Kumar Chaudhary, as well as former officers M. S. Babu, M. K. Mittal, Arun Kumar Mishra, and Patel Engineering Ltd.
“Though a decision was taken in 47th Board meeting of CVPPPL (Chenab Valley Power Projects (P) Ltd) for re-tender through e-tendering with reverse auction after cancellation of ongoing tendering process, same was not implemented (as per decision taken in 48th board meeting) and tender was finally awarded to Patel Engineering Ltd,” said the FIR filed by the CBI, according to news agency.
In January, the agency had also searched the homes of five individuals in relation to the case.
There are claims that Malik is being singled out for his criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the central government.
