New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is currently conducting raids at 12 locations — 10 in Delhi and two in Rajasthan — in connection with the alleged corruption in the Kiru hydro-electric power project in Jammu and Kashmir.
The places belong to the former media advisor of ex-J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik, three Chartered Accountants, and others.
According to sources, the searches are being carried out as part of an investigation into corruption related to the power project.
The source said that the two locations being raided in Delhi are — Defence Colony and West End area, and both belong to Sunak Bali.
In West Delhi’s Nangloi, two places belonging to two other alleged suspects — Virender Singh Rana and one belonging to Kanwar Singh Rana — are also being raided. Additionally, a raid is underway at the residence of Anita, a resident of Dwarka, also said to be involved in the scam. In Rajasthan, the raids are taking place at the premises of Dr. Priyanka Chaudhary in Jaipur and Barmer.
The CBI has gathered crucial information about their alleged involvement in the scam through their bank details and other documents.
Sources state that a case was registered on April 20 based on a request from Satya Pal Malik, the former Governor of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state.
The case was filed against Navin Kumar Choudhary, IAS, who was the Chairman of Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Limited (CVPPPL) at the time, along with M.S. Babu (then MD, CVPPPL), M.K. Mittal (then Director, CVPPPL), Arun Kumar Mishra (then Director, CVPPPL), and Patel Engineering Ltd. It was alleged that they attempted to bribe Malik.
“The FIR was filed in relation to malpractices in awarding a contract worth Rs 2,200 crore for the civil works of the Kiru Hydro Electric Power Project (HEP) to a private company in 2019. The guidelines regarding e-tendering for the award of the Civil Works package of the Kiru Hydroelectric Project were not followed. Although a decision was made in the Board Meeting of CVPPPL to re-tender through e-tendering with reverse auction after cancelling the ongoing tendering process, this decision was not implemented (as per the decision taken in the next Board meeting). As a result, the tender was eventually awarded to the said private company,” stated the CBI source.
Malik summoned by CBI
Malik was summoned by the CBI for questioning, in April, after his remarks in an interview with The Wire where he stated that the government was to blame for the Pulwama massacre. In the same interview, he addressed the issue of corruption in Jammu & Kashmir.
Satya Pal Malik, the last Governor of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir who oversaw heightened times that include the abrogation of Article 370, stated in an interview that the Prime Minister squelched him by saying “tum abhi chup raho” when he as governor reported that the Centre’s own mistakes were to blame for the Pulwama massacre.
Malik also said that the Prime Minister is ‘ill-informed’ and ‘does not hate corruption very much’ in an interview with journalist Karan Thapar for The Wire news portal that was posted on Friday night.
Malik mentioned the bombing of the CRPF convoy in Pulwama in February 2019 which claimed the lives of 40 jawans and was turned into an election issue by the BJP in the interview.
“CRPF members requested an aircraft to transport their members because such a sizable convoy seldom travels by road. They enquired the home ministry. They refused to give. They only required 5 aircraft, but they weren’t provided with any,” Malik said.
He recalled the Prime Minister calling him on the evening of February 14, 2019, from outside the Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand.
