The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) searched thirty locations on Thursday, including three locations in Delhi, Gurugram, and Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh, that belonged to former governor Satya Pal Malik of Jammu and Kashmir.

The raids are related to allegations of wrongdoing in the contract awarding process for a hydroelectric project.

Following the CBI’s registration of complaints in April 2022 about alleged irregularities in two projects in Jammu and Kashmir during Malik’s tenure as governor, Malik was questioned by the agency.

In response to allegations of malpractice in the awarding of the J&K Employees Health Care Insurance Scheme contract to a private company and the release of approximately Rs 60 crore in 2017–18, the CBI had opened two separate cases. The second case concerned the awarding of the Rs 2,200 crore civil works contract for the Kiru Hydro Electric Power Project.

 According to rumors, Malik’s acquaintances are also being raided. Malik had stated earlier in the year that if the Center had not denied a request for an aircraft to transfer Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) men, the terror incident that occurred in Pulwama in February 2019 would have been prevented.