CBI raids 14 sites to probe J&K ex-Guv Satya Pal Malik's Rs 300-cr bribe charge

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 21

The CBI today registered two FIRs in connection with corruption allegations levelled by former J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik in the awarding of contracts for group medical insurance scheme for government employees and work related to Kiru hydroelectric power project in the erstwhile state.

After registering the FIRs, the CBI carried out raids at 14 locations across the country in Jammu, Srinagar, Delhi, Mumbai, Noida, Thiruvananthapuram and Darbhanga, CBI officials said.

Violations in insurance plan, power project

• Former Jammu & Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik had alleged he was offered Rs. 300 crore bribe to clear two files
• FIR lodged to probe awarding of contracts for group medical insurance scheme
• Other case pertains to awarding Kiru hydroelectric power project to a private firm

In the FIR related to the controversial health insurance scheme, which was reportedly cleared by Malik in the state administrative council meeting on August 31, 2018, the CBI has named Reliance General Insurance Company Ltd (RGICL) and Trinity Re-Insurance Brokers Limited as accused entities.

“Unknown officials of the Finance Department of Jammu and Kashmir Government, by abusing their official position in connivance with Trinity Reinsurance Brokers Ltd, Reliance General Insurance Company Ltd and other unknown public servants and private persons, have committed the offences of criminal conspiracy and criminal misconduct to cause pecuniary advantage to themselves and caused loss to the exchequer during 2017 and 2018,” the CBI alleged in the FIR.

It was alleged that there were glaring deviations from government norms in the contract awarded to the accused company. When these allegations came out in open, the scheme, which was rolled out on September 30, 2018, was scrapped, the officials said.

In the scheme initially signed up with the RGICL for a year, the employees and pensioners would have got Rs 6 lakh cover for themselves and five dependent family members by paying an annual premium of Rs 8,777 and Rs 22,229, respectively.

In its FIR pertaining to Kiru project, the CBI alleged that guidelines related to e-tendering were not followed. The agency has booked former Chenab Valley Power Projects (P) Ltd chairman Navin Kumar Chaudhary, former MD MS Babu, former directors MK Mittal and Arun Kumar Mishra and Patel Engineering Ltd.

“Though a decision was taken at the Chenab projects Ltd board meeting for re-tendering, same was not implemented and the tender was awarded to Patel Engineering Ltd for Rs 2,200 crore,” the CBI alleged.

The J&K Governor from August 23, 2018, to October 30, 2019, Malik had claimed that he was offered Rs 300 crore bribe for clearing two files. “After going to Kashmir, two files came to me (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 PM (Narendra Modi),” he had said.

“I was informed by 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 said at a gathering in Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan in October last year.

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