From Hospital ICU, Satya Pal Malik Hits Back at BJP, CBI Charges on Kiru Project

Over three weeks after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a chargesheet against him in connection with alleged corruption in the awarding of contracts for the Kiru hydropower project, former Governor of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, Satya Pal Malik, on Sunday said he was in a very serious condition and shared a contact number for people to reach out to him.

Before revealing that his health had deteriorated due to a kidney ailment, Malik attacked the BJP-led government at the Centre, accusing it of trying to implicate him in a fabricated corruption case.

"I have been admitted to the hospital for the past month and am suffering from kidney problems. I had been stable since the day before yesterday, but today I had to be shifted to the ICU again. My condition is becoming very serious," Malik posted on X.

Attempt to clear his stand on Kiru project

From the ICU of the hospital, Satya Pal Malik sought to clarify his position regarding the alleged corruption charges in the Kiru hydropower project. He asserted that he was the one who had cancelled the tender for the project.

"Whether I am there or not, I want to tell the truth to my countrymen. While I was holding the post of Governor, I was offered bribes of ₹150 crore each on two occasions, but I continued to work honestly, inspired by my political guru and the farmers' leader, the late Chaudhary Charan Singh Ji. My faith was never shaken," he wrote on X.

"When the farmers' movement was going on, I raised their demands while still in office, without any political motive. During the agitation by women wrestlers, I stood by them, supporting their fight from Jantar Mantar to India Gate," he added.

"I also raised the issue of the brave soldiers martyred in the Pulwama attack, which this government has not investigated to date."

Accusing the BJP-led Centre of falsely implicating him, he said the government was trying to trap him in a fabricated chargesheet through the CBI.

"I was the one who cancelled the tender they are using to frame me. I personally informed the Prime Minister about the corruption involved, and after that, I cancelled the tender. The tender was later finalised under someone else's signature after my transfer," he said, adding, "I want to tell the government and its agencies that I belong to the farming community. I will neither be afraid nor bow down."

"The government has used all its power to tarnish my image. Finally, I request the government and investigative agencies to tell the people of this country the truth about what you found during your investigation," he said.

He added, "The truth is, despite holding high offices over a political career spanning more than 50 years, I still live in a one-room house and am in debt. If I had money, I would have gotten treatment at a private hospital."

CBI filed a chargesheet against Malik in the Kiru corruption case

On May 16, the Central Bureau of Investigation filed a chargesheet against Satya Pal Malik and five others in connection with alleged corruption in the awarding of contracts for the Kiru Hydropower Project.

According to reports, the CBI submitted its findings after a three-year-long investigation to a special court, naming Malik and five others as accused.

In February 2024, CBI officials conducted searches at 30 locations across the country, including properties allegedly linked to Satya Pal Malik. These locations included Gurugram, Chandigarh, Patna, Delhi, Jodhpur, Barmer, Jammu & Kashmir, Noida, and Baghpat. Out of the 30 locations, eight were reportedly linked to Malik, including three flats in Gurugram and an apartment in Delhi's Asiad Games Village.

What is the case about?

The case pertains to alleged irregularities and corruption in the awarding of civil works contracts worth ₹2,200 crore for the Kiru Hydroelectric Project.

Satya Pal Malik, who served as the last Governor of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir from August 23, 2018, to October 30, 2019, had previously claimed that he was offered a bribe of ₹300 crore to clear two files, one of which pertained to this project.

The CBI confirmed that it had also searched premises linked to Malik's alleged associates, including former CVPPPL Chairman Navin Kumar Chaudhary and officials from Patel Engineering Limited.

A case has been registered against Navin Chaudhary, former CVPPPL Chairman, along with former CVPPPL officials—M.S. Babu, M.K. Mittal, and Arun Kumar Mishra—as well as Patel Engineering Limited.

It is alleged that proper guidelines for e-tendering were not followed while awarding the civil works contract for the Kiru project.

The CBI had initially registered the case in April 2022 and has conducted three rounds of searches at various premises linked to officials and individuals associated with the matter.