Kiru Power Project Graft Case
STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday raided 16 locations across the country in connection with the alleged graft case flagged by former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik in awarding contract for civil works of the Kishtwar-based Kiru Hydro Power Project Limited in 2019.
The raids were carried out at two places in Srinagar, five in Jammu, five in Delhi, three in Mumbai and one in Patna at the premises of middlemen and associates involved in the project.
During raids, the CBI has detected some financial transactions between the accused public servants, including the then Chaiman Chenab Valley Power Projects (P) Ltd Navin Kumar Chaudhary, who is already booked in this case.
16 locations across country raided in
connection with alleged graft case flagged by former J&K Guv Satya Pal Malik
Earlier the CBI had carried out raids at the houses of the then Principal Secretary Navin Kumar Chaudhary, at Patna and Jammu.
In Jammu, the raids were conducted at the office of Vijay Gupta, owner of K K Resorts at Bohri, Talab Tillo, his residence, house No 62, Sector 2, Trikuta Nagar Jammu, Ritesh Gupta, son of Pardeep Gupta, House No 318, Lane 11, Talab Tillo, Bohri, Rickey Gupta, son of Dharam Pal Gupta, 7-D/C, Gandhi Nagar, Rakesh Gupta, CA, resident of 109, B-A/D Gandhi Nagar.
At Srinagar, the house of Sahid Ahmed Kamili, 439, D-1 /4, Govt Coloney, Bemina, Srinagar, J&K SIDCO Industrial Estate, Rangreth Srinagar. In the Khiru Power Project graft case, these accused have acted as middlemen, having allegedly misappropriated huge funds. The CBI also conducted searches at the premises of Rupen Patel, Chairman and Managing Director of Patel Engineering Ltd in Mumbai, Vijay Gupta and Amrendra Kumar Singh among others.
Malik, who was the Governor of J&K between August 23, 2018 and October 30, 2019 had claimed that he was offered a Rs 300-crore bribe for clearing two files.
“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),” Malik had said.
“I was informed by secretaries in both the departments that there is a scandal and I accordingly cancelled both the deals. The secretaries told me that ‘you will get Rs 150 crore each for clearing the files’ but I told them that I have come with five Kurta-Pyjamas and will leave with that only,” Malik had told a gathering at an event at Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan in October last year.
In its FIR pertaining to the alleged malpractices in awarding contract for civil works package of Kiru hydroelectric power project registered in April this year, the CBI had said that guidelines related to e-tendering were not followed.
The CBI had also conducted a round of searches after the registration of the FIR. “The case was registered on allegations of malpractices in 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 earlier said.
The agency has booked Navin Kumar Chaudhary, M S Babu, former MD, M K Mittal and Arun Kumar Mishra, former directors of Patel Engineering Ltd.
“Though a decision was taken in 47th Board meeting of CVPPPL (Chenab Valley Power Projects (P) Ltd) for re-tender through e-tendering with reverse auction after cancellation of ongoing tendering process, same was not implemented (as per decision taken in 48th board meeting) and tender was finally awarded to Patel Engineering Ltd,” the FIR has alleged.
