The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches at more than 35 locations, including premises linked to former Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) governor Satya Pal Malik. The searches were part of an ongoing probe into alleged corruption in the awarding of a civil work contract for the Kiru Hydro Electric Power Project, worth Rs 2,200 crore. The project is being executed by Chenab Valley Power Projects Pvt Ltd. During the searches, evidence of a significant amount of cash, fixed deposits, and investments in properties in various cities was discovered by the CBI.

One of the locations searched was Malik’s ancestral house in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. The evidence collected by the CBI was both digital and documentary in nature. The case against Malik originated from his disclosure that he had been offered a bribe of Rs 200 crore for clearing two files related to the Kiru Hydel Project. This revelation led to the investigation into allegations of corruption.

Former governor Satya Pal Malik, who had earlier alleged that the 2019 Pulwama terror attack could have been averted if the government had heeded his advice to move troops deployed in the Valley by air, commented on the searches. Malik stated that he was unwell and had been hospitalized for three to four days. He expressed dissatisfaction with the CBI raids, claiming that they were an abuse of government agencies. Malik asserted that the CBI would not find anything significant during their searches, except for a few clothing items. He also mentioned that his driver and assistant were being unnecessarily targeted in the raids.

According to Malik’s nephew, the CBI arrived at his ancestral house in Hisawada village searching for three chests belonging to his late mother. The searches were conducted at various locations including Delhi, Jammu, Srinagar, Gurugram, Mumbai, Noida, Patna, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Barmer, Nagaur, and Chandigarh.