CBI Charges Former J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik in ₹2,200 Crore Kiru Hydel Project Corruption Case
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday filed a chargesheet against former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik in connection with alleged corruption in the awarding of civil works contracts for the ₹2,200 crore Kiru Hydroelectric Power Project in Kishtwar.
The chargesheet comes over two years after Malik publicly claimed that he was offered a ₹300 crore bribe to approve two files during his tenure as Governor, one of which involved the Kiru project.
The CBI filed the chargesheet in a Delhi court following a multi-agency probe and extensive raids conducted in February 2024 at over 30 locations, including Malik’s residences in Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir.
The CBI investigation revealed that the civil contracts for the Kiru Hydroelectric Power Project, managed by the Chenab Valley Power Projects Pvt Ltd (CVPPPL), were awarded in violation of tendering norms.
Despite a decision at the 47th CVPPPL board meeting to adopt e-tendering through reverse auction—a method intended to ensure transparency—the process was allegedly bypassed, and the contract was awarded to Patel Engineering Ltd.
Among those named in the investigation are former CVPPPL chairman Navin Kumar Choudhary and senior officials MS Babu, MK Mittal, and Arun Kumar Mishra. Patel Engineering Ltd has also been named in the case.
Satya Pal Malik has denied any wrongdoing. In a strongly worded statement following the February raids, he described the CBI action as a political vendetta.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Malik wrote,
“I have been ill for the last three to four days and am admitted to the hospital. Despite this, my house is being raided by the dictator through government agencies… I am a farmer’s son, I will not be afraid of these raids. I am with the farmers.”
Malik served as the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir from August 2018 to October 2019, a tenure that included the revocation of Article 370. He first disclosed the alleged bribery offer in 2021, prompting public and political reactions and eventually leading to the CBI registering a formal case in April 2022.
The Kiru Hydroelectric Project is a major infrastructure initiative located on the Chenab River in Kishtwar district. The project is strategically significant and has been under close scrutiny due to allegations of corruption and irregularities.
The chargesheet marks a significant development in the high-profile case. Legal proceedings will now determine whether Malik and others face trial. The CBI is expected to pursue further evidence and testimonies as the case progresses.
