PANAJI
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) launched searches at the residence of vocal Modi critic and former Goa, J&K and Meghalaya governor, Satyapal Malik and dozens of other locations linked to him in connection with the alleged corruption case related to the Kiru Hydropower project.
The searches began early Thursday morning with a force of nearly 100 officers mobilised to swoop down on all these locations in multiple cities.
The corruption case booked is related to civil contracts awarded in the construction of the Rs 2,200 crore Kiru Hydro Electric Power Project (HEP), according to reports from Delhi. The case was booked by the CBI in April last year with Malik named among four others in it.
The contracts relate to Malik's momentous tenure as Governor of Jammu and Kashmir between August 2018 and October 2019. A vocal politician, Malik had alleged then that he was offered ₹ 300-crore in kickbacks to clear two files one of which was of this project.
Meanwhile Malik hit out at the action by the CBI from hospital where he was admitted a few days ago.
“Despite my illness, my residence is being raided by authoritarian forces. My driver and assistant are being needlessly harassed through these searches. I am not afraid of these raids; I stand with the farmers. These actions won’t deter me,” he said in his statement.
Malik was Governor when the Centre abrogated article 370 which gave J&K and simultaneously trifurcated the State into the Union territories of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh in August 2019. He was soon thereafter shunted out and moved to Goa as Governor.
His gubernatorial innings in Goa was spiced with some run-ins with the then Pramod Sawant-led State government when he alleged widespread corruption in the State. He was eventually shifted to Meghalaya where he served until the end of his term.
Malik also took on the role of publicly criticising the Prime Minister in the last couple of years, including for some months while in office. He constantly supported the farmers' protest in Delhi against the three agriculture laws which were eventually repealed by the Centre bowing to pressure from the agitating farmers.
