CBI May Visit Ex-J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik's House In Old Bribery Case

Satya Pal Malik has claimed that he was offered a bribe for clearing the files related to an insurance scheme during his tenure as the J&K Governor.

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is likely to approach former Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Satya Pal Malik on Friday in connection with an alleged bribery case of Rs 60 crore. The case pertains to a health insurance scheme that Malik was allegedly asked to push, but had cancelled when he was the Governor of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Malik had claimed that he was offered a bribe for clearing the files during his tenure as the J&K Governor between August 23, 2018, and October 30, 2019. The CBI team is likely to visit his home to record his statement and gather more information.

Last year, the CBI lodged a case in this respect and conducted raids in six states. On March 23, 2022, a letter was received from Dr Mohammad Usman Khan, JKAS, Deputy Secretary, General Administration Department, Government of J&K regarding a matter of malpractice in awarding a contract for the Employees Health Care Insurance Scheme to Reliance General Insurance Corporation Limited.

"The allegations mentioned in the written communication prima facie disclosed that unknown officials of the Finance Department of Govt. of J&K by abusing their official position in conspiracy and connivance with Trinity Reinsurance Brokers Ltd., Reliance General Insurance Company Ltd. and other unknown public servants committed the offences of Criminal Conspiracy and Criminal Misconduct to cause pecuniary advantage to themselves and caused wrongful loss to the state exchequer during the period 2017 and 2018 and thereby in this manner cheated the Govt of J&K," a CBI source said.

After a preliminary inquiry, the CBI lodged a case under sections 120-B read with sections 420 of RPC and Section 5(2), Section 5(1)(d) of J&K PC Act.