Kiru Hydropower Scam: CBI Chargesheets Former J&K Governor Satyapal Malik, Seven Others in Rs 2,200-Crore Corruption Case
New Delhi, May 22: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has formally filed a chargesheet against former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik and seven others in connection with alleged irregularities in the awarding of the civil works contract for the Rs 2,200-crore Kiru Hydropower Project, officials said on Thursday.
The chargesheet, submitted before a special CBI court in Jammu after nearly three years of investigation, marks a major development in one of the highest-profile corruption cases to emerge from Jammu and Kashmir in recent years. The case pertains to alleged corruption and manipulation in the awarding of contracts for the Kiru Hydro Electric Power Project (HEP) in 2019.
According to CBI sources, Malik has been named along with his two aides — Virender Rana and Kanwar Singh Rana — in addition to several key officials from the Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Limited (CVPPPL) and Patel Engineering Ltd, the firm that ultimately bagged the contract.
Those named in the chargesheet include:
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- M. S. Babu, former Managing Director of CVPPPL
- Arun Kumar Mishra and M. K. Mittal, directors of CVPPPL
- Rupen Patel, Managing Director of Patel Engineering Ltd
- Kanwaljeet Singh Duggal, a private individual
The chargesheet invokes Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), alongside relevant sections of the Jammu and Kashmir Prevention of Corruption Act — legal provisions in place prior to the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, after which Indian Penal Code (IPC) replaced the RPC in the region.
The CBI alleges that the tender process was manipulated to favor Patel Engineering. The 47th board meeting of CVPPPL had recommended the cancellation of the existing tender process in favor of re-tendering through a transparent e-tendering system with a reverse auction mechanism. However, this decision was overturned in the subsequent 48th board meeting, and the contract was eventually awarded to Patel Engineering — a move that the agency alleges was in violation of proper procedure and aimed at favoring the firm.
Notably, Satyapal Malik had earlier claimed that he was offered a Rs 300-crore bribe to approve two files during his tenure as governor — one of them related to the Kiru project. Despite his claims, the CBI has now chargesheeted him as a principal accused, prompting strong reactions from his aides.
Following news of the chargesheet, Malik’s official ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) handle posted a photograph of the 79-year-old former governor lying in a hospital bed, surrounded by life-support equipment. A message accompanied the image, stating, “I am getting calls from many of my well-wishers which I am unable to take. My condition is very bad right now. I am admitted in the hospital and am not in a condition to talk to anyone.”
His aide Kanwar Singh Rana confirmed that Malik has been in the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi since May 11, suffering from an infection. “He is on dialysis for the past three days and in a serious condition,” Rana said, adding that the CBI’s timing in filing the chargesheet was “sheer harassment.”
“This is the second time they’ve acted against him during his hospitalization. Last year, when he was in Max Hospital, CBI conducted searches. Now they’ve filed a chargesheet while he is in critical condition. We have clearly told them we have no involvement in any corruption,” he added.
Malik has consistently denied wrongdoing and publicly criticized the CBI’s actions. After his residence was raided last year, he remarked, “They will find nothing but 4–5 kurtas and pyjamas. The dictator is misusing agencies to scare me. I am a farmer’s son, I will neither be afraid nor will I bow down.”
The CBI had initially filed an FIR in the matter in 2022, naming Navin Kumar Choudhary, who was then the chairman of CVPPPL, along with other officials and the construction company. The investigation followed Malik’s own allegations and was later expanded to probe the entire tendering process.
This case could have far-reaching political and legal ramifications as it involves a former constitutional authority and reveals deep-rooted concerns about governance and transparency in public infrastructure projects. The matter is now set to proceed through judicial channels, and all eyes will be on the special CBI court in Jammu for the next steps.
