NEW DELHI, Oct 8: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned former Governor Satya Pal Malik over his allegations that he was offered bribes worth Rs 300 crore for clearing two files.
The agency had registered the cases in April regarding purported irregularities in two projects in Jammu and Kashmir when Malik was the Governor there.
“He was examined in the case two days ago (on Thursday). Since these were his allegations, he was asked for more details,” a CBI official said.
In October 2021, Malik went on record that he was offered Rs 300 crore in bribes to clear two files including one related to a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha leader. Based on this allegation, the CBI registered two cases in the matter and conducted searches at 14 locations in April.
The agency has booked Anil Ambani’s Reliance General Insurance Company (RGIC) and officials of Chenab Valley Power Projects Pvt Ltd (CVPPPL), among others, in the two cases. The searched locations included the premises of IAS officer Naveen Choudhary, the then chairman of Chenab Valley Power Projects Pvt Ltd (CVPPPL), besides those of managing director MS Babu and directors MK Mittal and Arun Mishra.
The firm accused in the case is Patel Engineering Ltd. An FIR in the case was registered in Jammu. A separate FIR registered in Srinagar named RGIC and Trinity Reinsurance Brokers Ltd as accused.
“CBI had registered two separate cases on the request from Jammu & Kashmir government on the allegations of malpractices (I) in award of contract of J&K Employees Health Care Insurance Scheme to private company & release of Rs 60 crore (approx.) in the year 2017-18 and (II) award of the contract worth Rs 2200 crore (approx.) of civil works of Kiru Hydroelectric Power Project to a private firm in the year 2019,” the CBI had said in a statement.
In March, J&K Lieutenant General Manoj Sinha announced that the allegations made by Malik were serious and that the administration had decided to hand over the probe in the case to the CBI. It seems the investigating agency was waiting for Malik’s term as a constitutional head to end.
The two cases were formally referred to the CBI on March 23.
Malik during his constant tirade against the central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hinted earlier that he was sure that the CBI and other agencies would question him but he was not afraid.
