The CBI on Wednesday conducted searches at premises of the then aide of former Jammu & Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik, and 11 other locations in Delhi and Rajasthan in the alleged insurance scam case.
The CBI conducted searches at the residence of Malik’s then aide Saunak Bali, Chartered Accountant Sanjay Narang, Virender Singh Rana and Kanwar Singh Rana, Priyanka Chowdhary and Anita in Delhi and Rajasthan, officials said.
The searches were spread across 10 places in Delhi and two districts in Rajasthan.
The move comes within a month of questioning Malik on April 28.
The searches were initiated after the analysis of financial documents, digital evidence and statements of the accused and other persons in the case, the officials said.
In October, the CBI had recorded Malik’s statement after he concluded his gubernatorial responsibilities in Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Goa, and Meghalaya.
The CBI registered two FIRs in connection with the corruption allegations levelled by Malik in the award of contracts for a group medical insurance scheme for government employees, and civil works worth Rs 2,200 crore related to the Kiru hydroelectric power project in Jammu and Kashmir.
Malik had claimed he was offered Rs 300-crore bribe for clearing two files during his tenure as the Jammu and Kashmir Governor between August 23, 2018 and October 30, 2019.
Subsequently, the CBI booked Reliance General Insurance and Trinity Re-Insurance Brokers Limited as accused in its FIR related to a controversial health insurance scheme for Jammu and Kashmir government employees reportedly cleared by Malik in the state administrative council meeting on August 31, 2018 which was later scrapped.
“…Unknown officials of 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 has 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.
