New Delhi: Former Jammu & Kashmir governor Satyapal Malik has been summoned by the CBI in connection with an ongoing investigation into allegations that he was offered a bribe to clear the file for a ‘J&K Employees Healthcare Insurance Scheme’ by Reliance General Insurance.
The summons was issued Friday, and Malik has been asked to appear either on 27 or 28 April.
The development comes days after Malik gave an interview to two web channels criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the current government on several issues, including the 2019 Pulwama attack and bifurcation of the erstwhile J&K state.
Speaking to ThePrint, Malik said these summons are not for questioning, but for clarifications needed for the probe.
“I received a communication from the CBI asking if I would be available for some clarifications in the insurance scheme case that they are probing,” he said.
In October 2021, Malik had claimed that he was offered a Rs 300 crore bribe for clearing two files during his tenure as J&K governor between 23 August 2018 and 30 October 2019.
Among the two files, Malik claimed, was a group medical insurance scheme for government employees, and a contract for civil work worth Rs 2,200 crore related to the Kiru hydroelectric power project in J&K’s Kishtwar district.
“After going to Kashmir, two files came to me (for clearance), one belonging to Ambani and another to an RSS-affiliated man who was a minister in the previous Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP coalition government and claimed to be very close to the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi),” he had said at an event in Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan.
According to reports, the government had tied up with Reliance General Insurance, part of the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group, for the group health insurance policy.
“I was informed by secretaries in both departments that there is a scandal and I accordingly cancelled both deals,” he had said.
“The secretaries told me that ‘you will get Rs 150 crore each for clearing the files’, but I told them that I have come with five kurta-pyjamas and will leave with that only,” Malik added.
In April 2022, the CBI registered two FIRs in connection with corruption allegations levelled by Malik.
In the FIR, the CBI booked Reliance General Insurance and Trinity Re-Insurance Brokers Limited as accused.
In October last year, the CBI had examined Malik in connection with the two cases.
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The cases
In the FIR, it is alleged that unknown officials caused wrongful loss to the state exchequer and that there were deviations from the government norms in the contract awarded to Reliance.
“…Unknown officials of the finance department of Government of Jammu and Kashmir by abusing their official position in conspiracy and connivance with Trinity Reinsurance Brokers Ltd, Reliance General Insurance Company Ltd and other unknown public servants and private persons have committed the offences of criminal conspiracy and criminal misconduct,” the FIR alleged.
They caused “pecuniary advantage to themselves and wrongful loss to state exchequer during the period 2017 and 2018 and thereby in this manner cheated the Government of Jammu and Kashmir”, it alleged.
It was alleged in different quarters that there were glaring deviations from the government norms in the contract for0 Reliance General Insurance, like the absence of an online tender, removal of an original condition that the vendor should have experience of working in J&K, and the requirement that the company have a turnover of Rs 5,000 crore.
In its second FIR pertaining to the alleged malpractices in the award of the contract for civil work related to the Kiru hydroelectric power project, the CBI said guidelines related to e-tendering were not followed.
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