The CBI on Wednesday conducted a fresh round of searches at 16 locations across India over the alleged graft charges flagged by former Jammu & Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik in the award of `2,200 crore civil works contract for the Kiru hydroelectric power project in Kishtwar, Jammu & Kashmir, in 2019.
Malik, who was the J&K Governor between August 23, 2018 and October 30, 2019, had claimed he was offered `300 crore bribe for clearing two files.
The search operations were spread across two places in Srinagar, five each in Jammu and Delhi, three in Mumbai and one in Patna on the premises of middlemen and associates involved in the project, officials said.
The CBI probe so far in the matter has revealed some financial transactions between the accused public servants, including then Chairman of the Chenab valley power projects (P) Ltd Navin Kumar Chaudhary and the middlemen, leading to a fresh round of searches, they said.
“During investigation, evidence was found revealing the alleged role of the middlemen, including the then chairman, and financial transactions between these middlemen and public servants, and accordingly, searches are being conducted at 16 locations,” the CBI said in a statement.
The agency is also conducting searches at the premises of Rupen Patel, chairman and managing director of Patel Engineering Ltd in Mumbai besides those of other accused Vijay Gupta and Amrendra Kumar Singh among others, they further said.
Malik had said when he was the Governor two files came to him for clearance, one belonging to Ambani 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 the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi).
“I was informed by the secretaries in both the departments that there is a scandal and I accordingly cancelled both the 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-pyjamas and will leave with that only,” Malik had told a gathering at an event at Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan in October last year.
In its FIR relating to the alleged malpractices in awarding contract for the civil works package of Kiru hydroelectric power project registered in April this year, the CBI had said guidelines related to e-tendering were violated.
The CBI had also conducted a round of searches on April 21, a day after the registration of the FIR on April 20 this year.
“The case was registered on allegations of malpractices in award of the contract worth Rs 2,200 crore (approximately) of civil works of Kiru hydroelectric power project (HEP) to a private company in the year 2019,” the CBI had earlier said.
The agency has booked Navin Kumar Chaudhary, M S Babu, former MD, M K Mittal and Arun Kumar Mishra, former directors and the private contractor Patel Engineering Ltd.
“Though a decision was taken in 47th Board meeting of CVPPPL (Chenab Valley Power Projects (P) Ltd) for re-tender through e-tendering with reverse auction after cancellation of ongoing tendering process, same was not implemented (as per decision taken in 48th board meeting) and tender was finally awarded to Patel Engineering Ltd,” the FIR has alleged.