Himalaya Harbinger Bureau, Rudrapur.
In a significant development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted a thorough search operation on Thursday at the residences of former Jammu and Kashmir Governor, Satya Pal Malik, and 29 other locations. This operation is part of an ongoing investigation into alleged corruption in the Kiru Hydro Power (HEP) project.
The CBI, employing a team of approximately 100 officers, simultaneously raided 30 locations across multiple cities. The focus of the investigation is the suspected malpractices in awarding civil works for the Kiru HEP project, valued at ₹2,200 crore.
The case stems from accusations of corruption in the contract awarding process for civil works of the Kiru Hydro Electric Power Project in 2019. Former Governor Satya Pal Malik, who held office from August 23, 2018, to October 30, 2019, had previously disclosed that he was offered a ₹300-crore bribe for expediting certain administrative processes, including those related to the Kiru project
“The case was registered on allegations of malpractices in awarding the contract worth approximately ₹2,200 crore of civil works of Kiru Hydro Electric Power Project (HEP) to a private company in 2019,” stated the CBI.
The individuals implicated in the case include former Chairman of the Chenab Valley Power Projects (P) Ltd., Navin Kumar Chaudhary, along with former officials M. S. Babu, M. K. Mittal, and Arun Kumar Mishra, and the company Patel Engineering Ltd.
The FIR alleges discrepancies in the decision-making process, asserting that although a resolution was passed during the 47th Board meeting of CVPPPL (Chenab Valley Power Projects (P) Ltd) for re-tendering through e-tendering with reverse auction after canceling the ongoing tendering process, this decision was not implemented. Instead, the tender was ultimately awarded to Patel Engineering Ltd.
This recent raid follows earlier searches conducted in January on the premises of five individuals connected to the case. The CBI’s operation aims to unravel the complexities surrounding the alleged corruption in the Kiru HEP project.
In light of these developments, the CBI is committed to uncovering the truth and ensuring accountability in this high-profile corruption case.
