The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet against former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satyapal Malik and five others in connection with alleged corruption in the award of Rs 2,200-crore civil works for the Kiru hydropower project. The agency alleges irregularities in the 2019 contract awarded to Patel Engineering despite the board’s decision to re-tender the project.
According to officials, the CBI has submitted its findings after a three-year probe before a special court, naming Malik and the five others as accused in the case. Malik, who served as governor of Jammu and Kashmir from August 23, 2018 to October 30, 2019, is among those accused in the chargesheet.
In response to the charges, INDI alliance poster boy former Governor J&K, Satyapal Malik gets admitted in hospital the moment CBI files 2200 cr scam chargeshit against him ; Malik stated that he was currently hospitalized and not in a condition to speak to anyone. He mentioned that he had been receiving calls from well-wishers that he was unable to answer. The former governor had previously denied allegations of corruption when the CBI conducted searches at his residence in February last year.
The CBI had initiated the investigation after registering an FIR in 2022, which highlighted alleged malpractices in the award of the contract for the Kiru Hydro Electric Power Project. Malik had claimed that he was offered a bribe of Rs 300 crore to clear certain files related to the project, but he maintained his innocence in the matter.
The agency has also booked Navin Kumar Choudhary, the former chairman of the Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Limited, along with other officials and Patel Engineering Limited. The FIR alleges that the decision to re-tender the project was not implemented despite being discussed in board meetings, leading to the final award of the contract to Patel Engineering Limited.
Malik has expressed defiance in the face of the charges, stating online that the CBI’s actions were an attempt to intimidate him. He declared that he would not be afraid or bow down, emphasizing his background as a farmer’s son. The case remains ongoing as the CBI continues its investigation into the alleged corruption in the Kiru hydropower project.
