Jammu and Kashmir hydro-power project case | CBI conducts searches in Delhi, Jammu

CBI has conducted searches in Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir in the case related to alleged irregularities in the award of tender for civil works of Kiru Hydroelectric Project

CBI has conducted searches in Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir in the case related to alleged irregularities in the award of tender for civil works of Kiru Hydroelectric Project being executed by Chenab Valley Power Projects (P) Ltd, officials said on January 29.

The searches were conducted recently at the premises of Rajiv Dahiya, Surender Kumar Gupta, Saurabh Gupta, Arun Kumar and Reshi Kumar Sharma, they said.

They are suspected to have converted bribe money into white through money laundering, the officials said.

Satya Pal Malik, who was the governor of Jammu and Kashmir between August 23, 2018, and October 30, 2019, had claimed that he was offered a ₹300-crore bribe for clearing two files, including one pertaining to the project.

"The case was registered on allegations of malpractices in award of a contract worth approximately Rs 2,200 crore of civil works of Kiru Hydro Electric Power Project (HEP) to a private company in the year 2019," the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had earlier said.

The agency has booked former chairman, Chenab Valley Power Projects (P) Ltd, Navin Kumar Chaudhary, and other former officials M S Babu, M K Mittal and Arun Kumar Mishra, and Patel Engineering Ltd in the case.

"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, the same was not implemented (as per decision taken in 48th board meeting) and tender was finally awarded to Patel Engineering Ltd," it has been alleged in the FIR.