Five days after the completion of his tenure as Governor of Meghalaya, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned Satya Pal Malik in connection with graft cases registered in Jammu and Kashmir based on allegations levelled by him.
On April 21, the CBI has registered two cases on a reference from the Jammu and Kashmir government following corruption charges made by former Governor Satya Pal Malik to probe alleged malpractices in the award of two contracts related to civil works worth about Rs 2,200 crore and a group health insurance scheme. Reports said that the team of CBI took details of his observations earlier this week.
Although officers are tightlipped over the questioning of Satya Pal Malik, unconfirmed reports suggested that the team of CBI sought proof and other evidence from the former Governor to substantiate his allegations that when he was J&K Governor, he was offered Rs 300 crores in bribes to clear two files.
Two cases registered after Malik's startling revelations
The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered two cases after corruption charges made by Satya Pal Malik. The cases were registered to probe alleged malpractices in the award of two contracts related to civil works worth about Rs 2,200 crore and a group health insurance scheme.
In the first case pertaining to the Kiru Hydroelectric power project, the agency has named Indian Administrative Service officer Navin Kumar Choudhary, as the then chairman of Chenab Valley Power Projects (P) Limited (CVPPPL), its then managing director M.S. Babu, then directors M.K. Mittal and Arun Kumar Mishra, besides Patel Engineering Limited, as accused.
According to the reports, the first case involves the 2019 award of the civil works contract to Patel Engineering, in which e-tendering guidelines were allegedly not followed despite the CVPPPL Board's decision.
The second FIR alleges irregularities in the award of contract for the Jammu and Kashmir Employees Health Care Insurance Scheme and the release of about Rs 60 crore in 2017-18. The charge primarily relates to the process adopted and rates fixed under the scheme.
Earlier CBI conducted raids across India
After formally registering two FIR, CBI conducted raids at 16 locations across India in July this year.
Searches were conducted at two places in Srinagar, five in Jammu, five in Delhi, three in Mumbai, and one in Patna at the premises of middlemen and associates involved in the project.
The CBI has detected some financial transactions between the accused public servants, including the then Chairman of the Chenab Valley Power Projects (P) Ltd Navin Kumar Chaudhary, and middlemen, leading to a fresh round of searches.
Malik claimed he was offered Rs 300 crore bribe to clear two files
Satya Pal Malik, who was the governor of Jammu and Kashmir between August 23, 2018, and October 30, 2019, had claimed he was offered a Rs 300 crore bribe for clearing two files.
"After going to Kashmir, two files came to me for clearance, one belonging to a top industrialist of the country and another to an RSS-affiliated man who was a minister in the previous Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP coalition government and claimed to be very close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Malik had said.
"I was informed by secretaries in both departments that there is a scandal and I accordingly cancelled both deals. The secretaries told me that 'you will get Rs 150 crore each for clearing the files but I told them that I have come with five kurta-pajamas and will leave with that only," Malik had told a gathering at an event at Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan in October 2021.
