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Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Explained: Now charged by CBI, story of two allegations made by ex-J&K Governor Satyapal Malik
The CBI on Monday filed a chargesheet against seven people, including former Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Governor Satya Pal Malik, in a case of alleged corruption in the award of a contract for a hydel project in Kishtwar district. The agency had earlier examined Malik as a witness. In fact, it was on Malik's allegations that the case was first registered in 2022. The former Governor, 78, who has been sharply critical of the BJP in recent years, is currently admitted in New Delhi's RML Hospital with a urinary infection and sepsis. In October 2021, two years after leaving office as J&K Governor, Malik claimed he had been offered Rs 300 crore in bribes to clear two files: one concerning 'Ambani'' and the other an 'RSS functionary''. 'One of the secretaries told me that these are shady deals, but he can get Rs 150 crore each. I told him that I had come to J&K with five kurta-pajamas and would leave with that,' Malik said at an event in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan. Malik was referring to the rollout of a group health insurance policy for government employees, for which the J&K government had tied up with Anil Ambani's Reliance General Insurance Private Ltd (RGIPL), and alleged irregularities in the award of a contract for civil works in the Kiru Hydro Electric Project (HEP) on the Chenab river. Six months after Malik made these allegations, J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said that the government had decided to hand over the probe in these cases to the CBI. The cases were formally referred to the agency on March 23, 2022, after which the CBI registered two separate FIRs. After the existing insurance scheme with ICICI Lombard came to an end in 2017, the J&K government floated tenders for a better and more expansive scheme for its employees. Upon receiving only one bid, the government hired Trinity Reinsurance Brokers Ltd (TRBL) to float tenders on its behalf. This time, seven companies bid, and RGIPL was awarded the contract in September 2018, days after Malik assumed office as Governor, on L1 basis. (Its quoted annual premium of Rs 8,777 was the lowest.) The scheme became operational on October 1, and the J&K government disbursed Rs 61 crore to RGIPL as advance payment. This transfer, allegedly made 'without the necessary approvals of the Chief Secretary or the Governor', raised red flags in Raj Bhawan, The Indian Express had reported in 2018. Amid protests by government employees about high premiums and the absence of an opt-out, Malik cancelled the deal, saying 'it was full of fraud'. Sources in the J&K government had told The Indian Express in 2018 that TRBL was allegedly a front for a major business conglomerate, and that 'changes were made [to the tender process] to accommodate Reliance'. In 2021, the J&K Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) said 'no irregularity has been found in the matter', but recommended the recovery of Rs 44 crore from RGIPL since the scheme was cancelled less than a month after it became operational. The Finance Department in February 2022 opined that there were indeed irregularities in the award of the contract. A little more than a month later, the probe was handed to the CBI. The central agency's FIR named RGIPL and TRBL as accused, and said that the J&K government's allegations 'prima facie disclose that unknown officials of Finance Department…with TRBL, RGIPL and other unknown public servants and private persons have committed the offences of criminal conspiracy and criminal misconduct to cause pecuniary advantage to themselves… thereby in this manner cheated the government of J&K'. The Enforcement Directorate is also investigating the matter. In January 2024, the ED provisionally attached immovable and movable properties worth Rs 36.57 crore linked to the case. 'The investigation revealed that the Finance Department deliberately awarded the tender for engagement of intermediary [TRBL] for designing and floating the tender… by dubious or questionable selection/ shortlisting process,' the ED has said. The case pertains to the award of a contract for civil works to the tune of Rs 2,200 crore in the Kiru HEP in Jammu's Kishtwar district by the Chenab Valley Power Projects Pvt Ltd (CVPPPL) in 2019 to Patel Engineering Ltd. The contract was for the construction of a diversion tunnel, concrete dam, pressure shafts, cofferdams, tailrace tunnels, and a powerhouse. The CBI FIR notes that the ACB and the J&K power department had investigated the matter. 'Perusal of [their] reports reveals that in award of civil works package of Kiru HEP, guidelines regarding e-tendering were not followed, and [although] a decision was taken in the 47th Board Meeting of CVPPPL for re-tender through e-tendering with reverse auction, after cancellation of ongoing tendering process, [the] same was not implemented and the tender was finally awarded to M/s Patel Engineering,' the FIR states. The project, whose cost is estimated to be Rs 4,287 crore, has been marred by allegations of sub-standard work and failure to provide jobs to local youths, one of its main selling points. The ACB had observed that the tender for the project had been cancelled in 47th Board Meeting of CVPPPL, but was revived in the 48th Meeting and awarded to Patel Engineering. Apart from Malik, others named in the CBI's chargesheet are: M S Babu, MD of CVPPPL; board directors M K Mittal and Arun Kumar Mishra; private secretaries Virendra Rana and Kanwar Singh Rana; Rupen Patel, MD of Patel Engineering; and a certain Kanwaljit Singh Duggal.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘CHP officers will be vigilant': Patrols ramp up for Memorial Day weekend
(KRON) — Memorial Day weekend is right around the corner, and, as the unofficial kick-off to summer approaches, the California Highway Patrol is reminding drivers and passengers to be safe and buckle up before hitting the road. New generation of CHP squad cars hitting Bay Area roads The CHP said its annual statewide Memorial Day Holiday Enforcement Period (HEP) will begin on Friday, May 23, at 6:01 p.m. and run through Monday, May 26, at 11:59 p.m. During the holiday weekend last year, 42 people died in crashes across California, and more than 1,100 people were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to CHP. 'To help maintain safety on California's roadways, CHP officers will be vigilant for impaired and reckless drivers and motorists who fail to buckle up,' said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee in a news release. 'Our top priority is keeping the public safe, not just during the holidays but daily. Buckling up is one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect yourself and your passengers in a crash. Our officers will be out in force to help everyone arrive at their destination safely.' CHP said it will also be deploying its newly launched fleet of stealth Specially Marked Patrol Vehicles that blend into traffic to catch dangerous drivers 'without immediate detection.' The California Highway Patrol said its holiday enforcement period coincides with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) national 'Click it or Ticket' campaign, which started May 19 and ends June 1. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
India Gazette
22-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
CBI files chargesheet against former J-K Governor Satyapal Malik, six others in Kiru hydel project case
New Delhi [India], May 22 (ANI): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday filed a chargesheet against Satyapal Malik, former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and six others in connection with the Kiru Hydro Electric Project of Jammu and Kashmir. The chargesheet was filed against Satyapal Malik, his two private secretaries and four others. Malik served as the governor of Jammu and Kashmir between August 23, 2018 and October 30, 2019. The case relates to alleged corruption in awarding a contract for the civil work for the Kiru Hydro Electric Power Project (HEP) worth Rs 2,200 crore in Kishtwar in 2019. In Feb 2024, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted raids at more than 30 places, including the premises linked to former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik, as part of its investigation into alleged corruption in the awarding of a contract for a hydel project in the Union territory. The case relates to alleged corruption in awarding contract for the civil work for the Kiru Hydro Electric Power Project (HEP) worth Rs 2,200 crore in Kishtwar in 2019. On 29 January 2024, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has conducted searches at around 8 locations in Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir in the on-going investigations of a case related to alleged irregularities in the award of tender for civil works of the Kiru Hydroelectric Project being executed by Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Limited, the agency said. The searches led to recovery of digital devices, computers, property documents, and 'incriminating' documents, in addition to cash of over Rs 21 lakhs (approximately), it said. The CBI statement added that it was alleged that in the award of civil works relating to the Kiru Hydroelectric Project, guidelines regarding e-tendering were not followed. (ANI)
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Business Standard
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
CBI charges former J&K governor Satyapal Malik in Kiru hydropower case
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday filed a chargesheet against former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik and five others over alleged irregularities in the Rs 2,200-crore civil works contract for the Kiru hydropower project, officials said. The chargesheet, submitted after a three-year-long investigation, was presented before a special court and names Malik along with the other accused. On Thursday, Malik posted on 'X' that he had been admitted to hospital and was not in a position to speak. "I'm getting calls from many well-wishers which I can't answer right now," he wrote. Others named in the case include Navin Kumar Choudhary, who was then chairman of the Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Limited (CVPPPL), along with officials M S Babu, M K Mittal, Arun Kumar Mishra, and Patel Engineering Ltd, the construction firm that won the contract. Last year in February, CBI had searched Malik's premises as part of its ongoing investigation into the case. The FIR, which was originally filed in 2022, alleges that serious irregularities took place in awarding the civil works contract of the Kiru Hydro Electric Power (HEP) Project to a private firm in 2019. According to the FIR, CVPPPL's 47th board meeting had decided to cancel the ongoing tender and re-initiate the process through e-tendering and reverse auction. However, the 48th meeting reportedly reversed the decision, ultimately awarding the contract to Patel Engineering, a move that is the focus of the investigation. Satyapal Malik, who served as governor of J&K from August 2018 to October 2019, had earlier claimed that he was offered a bribe of Rs 300 crore to approve two files, one of which was related to this project. After the CBI searched his home premises last year in February, Malik dismissed the allegations saying that the probe should have focused on the people he had flagged for corruption. "They won't find anything at my place except 4–5 kurtas and pyjamas. The dictator is trying to frighten me by misusing government agencies. I am a farmer's son, I won't be scared or bow down," he had posted online at the time.
The Hindu
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Kiru hydel corruption case: CBI files chargesheet against former J&K Governor Satyapal Malik, 7 others
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet against former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik and seven others in connection with alleged corruption in the award of ₹2,200-crore civil works for Kiru hydropower project, officials said Thursday (May 22, 2025). The agency has filed its chargesheet after three years of probe before a special court naming Mr. Malik and his two aides Virender Rana and Kanwar Singh Rana, they said. The other persons named in the chargesheet included the then Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Limited (CVPPPL) managing director M.S. Babu, its directors Arun Kumar Mishra and M.K. Mittal, managing director of construction firm Patel Engineering Limited Rupen Patel and private person Kanwaljeet Singh Duggal, the officials said. In a message on 'X' on Thursday (May 22, 2025), Mr. Malik said he was admitted in the hospital and not in a condition to talk to anyone. The former Governor said he was getting calls from many well-wishers which he was unable to take. The CBI had conducted searches at the premises of Mr. Malik and others in connection with the case in February last year. The case pertains to the alleged malpractices in the award of the contract worth about ₹2,200 crore of civil works of the Kiru Hydro Electric Power (HEP) Project to a private company in 2019, the CBI had said after the registration of the FIR in 2022. Mr. Malik, who was the governor of Jammu and Kashmir from August 23, 2018 to October 30, 2019, had claimed that he was offered a ₹300-crore bribe for clearing two files, including the one pertaining to the project. He denied allegations of corruption against him after the agency conducted search operation last year. Mr. Malik said his residence was raided by the CBI instead of investigating the people he had complained about and who were involved in corruption. 'They will not get anything except four-five kurtas and pyjamas. The dictator is trying to scare me by misusing government agencies. I am a farmer's son, I will neither be afraid nor bow down,' he had posted online. The central agency had filed the FIR against Navin Kumar Choudhary, the then chairman of the CVPPPL, and other officials including Babu, Mittal and Mishra, besides construction firm Patel Engineering. 'Though a decision was taken in the 47th board meeting of CVPPPL for re-tender through e-tendering with a reverse auction after the cancellation of the ongoing tendering process, the same was not implemented (according to the decision taken in the 48th board meeting) and the tender was finally awarded to Patel Engineering Limited,' the FIR has alleged.
