New Delhi, Oct. 08: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday questioned
former Meghalaya governor Satya Pal Malik in a case related to alleged irregularities in two
projects in Jammu and Kashmir during his stint as governor during 2018-19.
The examination was conducted after Malik's five-year tenure as Meghalaya governor ended
on October 4.
“I was called by the probe agency and they took details of my observations regarding the
case. No information related to further questioning was conveyed to me,” Malik said.
According to the CBI, Malik was examined two days ago and he was again questioned on
Saturday for further details.
They said the CBI team took details of his observations earlier this week, they said.
Malik was examined after his five years tenure as Governor ended on October 4,
they said.
Malik had claimed that he was offered a Rs 300 crore bribe for clearing two files during his tenure as
the governor of Jammu and Kashmir between August 23, 2018 and October 30, 2019.
“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 prime minister (Narendra Modi),” he had said.
“I was informed by secretaries in both departments that there is a scandal and I accordingly
cancelled both deals.
“Two files had come for my consideration. One of the secretaries told me that if I approve
these, I can get ₹150 crore for each. I turned down the offer, saying that I had brought five
kurta pyjamas to Kashmir and will just go back with them,” Malik had said on October 17,
2021, at a function in Rajasthan.
In one of its FIRs, the CBI alleged that malpractices took place in awarding ₹2,200 crore
worth of contract of civil work of Kiru Hydro Electric Power Project to a private company in
2019. It also booked Anil Ambani's Reliance General Insurance Company and Trinity Re-
Insurance Brokers Limited in relation to a controversial health insurance scheme.
In April this year, the CBI registered the two FIRs in connection with corruption allegations levelled
by Malik in the awarding of contracts for a group medical insurance scheme for government
employees and civil work worth Rs 2,200 crore related to the Kiru hydroelectric power project in the
erstwhile state.
The central agency has booked Reliance General Insurance and Trinity Re-Insurance Brokers Limited
as accused in its FIR related to a controversial health insurance scheme for Jammu and Kashmir
government employees reportedly cleared by Malik in the state administrative council meeting on
August 31, 2018.
“…unknown officials of the Finance Department of Government of Jammu and Kashmir by abusing
their official position in conspiracy and 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,” the FIR alleged.
They caused “pecuniary advantage to themselves and wrongful loss to state exchequer during the
period 2017 and 2018 and thereby in this manner cheated the Government of Jammu and Kashmir”,
it alleged.
It was alleged in different quarters that there were glaring deviations from the government norms in
the contract awarded to Reliance General Insurance like the absence of an online tender, removal of
an original condition that the vendor should have experience of working in the state and companies
having turnover of Rs 5,000 crore among others.
“The case was registered on the request of Jammu and Kashmir government on the allegations of
malpractices in the award of contract of J&K Employees Health Care Insurance Scheme to private
company and release of Rs 60 crore (approximately) in the year 2017-18,” CBI Spokesperson R C
Joshi had said.
After allegations of irregularities surfaced, the scheme, which was rolled out on September 30, 2018,
was scrapped, officials said.
“The governor has approved foreclosure of the contract with M/s Reliance General Insurance
Company (RGIC) for implementing group mediclaim health insurance policy for the employees and
pensioners in the state,” a Raj Bhavan spokesperson had said on October 27, 2018.
He had said the matter was referred to the Anti-Corruption Bureau for examining the entire process
to see whether it was conducted in a transparent and fair manner.
In the scheme which was initially signed up with RGIC for one 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 for employees and pensioners, respectively.
In its second FIR pertaining to the alleged malpractices in the award of contract for the civil works
package of Kiru hydroelectric power project, the CBI said guidelines related to e-tendering were not
followed.
“The case was registered on allegations of malpractices in the award of the contract worth Rs 2,200
crore (approximately) of civil works of Kiru Hydro Electric Power Project(HEP) to a private company
in the year 2019,” Joshi had said.
The agency has booked Navin Kumar Chaudhary, former chairman of Chenab Valley Power Projects
(P) Ltd, M S Babu, former MD, M K Mittal and Arun Kumar Mishra, former directors and Patel
Engineering Ltd.
“Though a decision was taken in the 47th Board meeting of CVPPPL (Chenab Valley Power Projects
Ltd) for re-tender through e-tendering with the reverse auction after the cancellation of the ongoing
tendering process, the same was not implemented (as per the decision taken in the 48th board
meeting) and tender was finally awarded to Patel Engineering Ltd,” the FIR alleged
The probe agency filed two FIRs in April based on Malik's allegation that he was offered a
bribe of ₹300 crore to clear two files when he was in office as J&K governor. Malik levelled
corruption allegations in connection with awarding contracts for a group medical insurance
scheme for government employees.
Officials of Chenab Valley Power Projects Pvt Ltd, along with others, were also booked in
the hydropower corruption case.
