The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) carried out searches at the residences of former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik and 29 other locations on Thursday as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged corruption linked to the Rs 2,200-crore Kiru Hydropower project.
The federal agency initiated its operation with approximately 100 officers deployed to conduct raids across 30 locations spanning Jammu, Srinagar, Delhi, Gurugram, Mumbai, and several other cities, according to officials.
"During searches, evidence including substantial cash deposits, investments in fixed deposits, and properties across various cities, along with digital and documentary evidence, have been seized," stated the CBI spokesperson.
The premises associated with Malik in R K Puram, Dwarka, and Asian Games Village in Delhi, as well as locations in Gurugram and Baghpat, underwent scrutiny during the operation, officials confirmed.
Meanwhile, a team of CBI officials visited Malik's ancestral village in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, inquiring about his properties. However, locals indicated that Malik does not possess significant assets and only holds a share in the family home.
The search operation extended to the properties of Malik's associates, former chairman of Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Limited Navin Kumar Chaudhary, and officials of Patel Engineering Limited, the officials added.
Responding to the raids, Malik, who is reportedly unwell and hospitalized, denounced the actions, accusing the government of misusing agencies to intimidate him. He asserted his resilience, stating, "I am a farmer's son, I will neither be afraid nor bow down."
The case revolves around alleged irregularities in the awarding of a civil work contract related to the Kiru Hydro Electric Power Project, valued at Rs 2,200 crore. Malik had previously claimed to have been offered a Rs 300-crore bribe for facilitating the project's approvals during his tenure as governor.
The CBI had registered the case on April 22, 2022, citing malpractices in the contract's award to a private company in 2019. Former officials of Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Limited and Patel Engineering Limited are among those named in the FIR.
