Malik got bribes for J&K project via two aides: CBI

FSea-ear Jammu and cashmere regulator Satya chum up Malik received bribes from Patel applied science, routed through two close aides, for awarding a ₹2,200 crore civil contract for Kiru hydroelectric project (HEP) over Chenab river in Kishtwar, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has claimed in its charge sheet filed against him and others last month, CBI officials familiar with the contents of the document said. The money trail to his aides , Virendra Rana and Kanwar Singh Rana , has been established and detailed in the charge sheet, the officials, who asked not to be named, said, without divulging the amount of total bribes received. HT has not reviewed the charge sheet. The federal anti-corruption agency filed a charge sheet last month before a special court in Jammu naming Malik,79, who was J&K governor from August 23, 2018, to October 30, 2019, his two aides, then Chenab Valley Power Projects Pvt Ltd (CVPPPL) managing director MS Babu, its directors Arun Kumar Mishra and M K Mittal, managing director of construction firm Patel Engineering Ltd, Rupen Patel , and Kanwaljeet Singh Duggal. The court is yet to take cognizance of the charge sheet. “After thorough investigation for three years, based on robust documentary evidence and statements of witnesses, we have established in our charge sheet that the former governor (Malik) received bribes through his two private secretaries , Virendra Rana and Kanwar Singh Rana. We have provided a clear money trail pertaining to the transfer of funds,” said one of the CBI officials cited above. A second CBI official said that there was no need to obtain prior permission to file a charge sheet against Malik, who held a constitutional post. “Under the provisions of J&K Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) and J&K Prevention of Corruption Act, in which the former governor has been charged, there is no need for prior prosecution sanction”. The agency has invoked section 120-B of J&K RPC and J&K PC act as the alleged corruption took place before the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019 when these archaic legal provisions in the erstwhile state were replaced by the IPC and Prevention of corruption Act. IPC has since been replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Malik’s representative said on Friday that the former governor is undergoing treatment for a serious medical condition and that there would be no comment apart from whatever Malik has already said on X. On June 7, in a post on X , Malik said: “The tender they want to implicate me in was one I personally cancelled. I had informed the Prime Minister about the corruption in that matter, and after informing him, I cancelled that tender myself. After my transfer, that tender was approved with someone else’s signature.” The former governor said at the time that he was in the Intensive Unit Care (ICU) of a hospital for a kidney-related ailment.Malik alleged in October 2021, two years after he demitted the office, that he was offered a ₹300-crore bribe for clearing two files, including the one pertaining to the Kiru project. A member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Malik has, in recent years, turned a critic of the NDA government , and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, especially over the handling of the farm protest in 2020-21, and regarding the circumstances that led to the Pulwama terror strike in 2019.CBI registered a case in the matter on April 20, 2022 but Malik was not named as accused in the first information report. “His role emerged later during the probe,” said the second officer cited above. In its first information report (FIR), CBI said: “Though a decision was taken in the 47th board meeting of CVPPPL (Chenab Valley Power Projects (P) Ltd) for re-tender through e-tendering with a reverse auction after the cancellation of the ongoing tendering process, the same was not implemented (according to the decision taken in the 48th board meeting) and the tender was finally awarded to Patel Engineering Limited”.HT reached out to Patel Engineering for a comment through email, but there was no response.