CBI searches Satya Pal Malik ex-aide, 11 other spots in J&K insurance 'scam'

NEW DELHI: The CBI carried out searches Wednesday at the premises of the media adviser to former J&K governor Satya Pal Malik and 11 other locations in connection with its probe into the allegations of corruption and bribery in awarding of the contracts of an insurance scheme and a hydel power project in J&K in 2019 to a Mumbai-based company.
The move - which indicates that the agency has started identifying the suspects in the case - comes within a month of Malik being questioned by the CBI on April 28 for the second time. His first statement was recorded in October last year, days after his gubernatorial tenure ended.
Wednesday's searches were conducted in Delhi and Rajasthan. Among those raided were the premises of Saunak Bali, the former press adviser to Malik, chartered accountant Sanjay Narang, Kanwar Singh Rana, Priyanka Chowdhary and Anita. During searches, the agency supposedly recovered some documents pertaining to their investigation.

Probe began after Satya Pal claim of '₹300cr bribe offer'
The Central Bureau of Investigation's investigation into the Jammu and Kashmir contracts "scam" kicked off after Satya Pal Malik alleged that during his tenure as J&K governor he was offered Rs 300 crore in bribes for clearing files dealing with contracts to provide health insurance to state government's employees and civil work related to Kiru Hydro Electric Power Project.
The CBI then registered two cases in April last year on the request from J&K government on the allegations of malpractices in award of contract of J&K Employees Health Care Insurance Scheme to a private company and release of Rs 60 crore in the year 2017-18 and award of the contract worth Rs 2,200 crore of civil works of Kiru Hydro Electric Power Project (HEP) to a private firm in the year 2019.
Since last year, Malik has been in the news for his statements against the Centre made during and after the farmers' agitation against the now-repealed farm laws. He recently made controversial remarks blaming the government for the Pulwama attack.