New Delhi, Sept. 12 -- All three firms that bid for the adventure tourism project near Mussoorie's George Everest Estate in Uttarakhand - including the one eventually awarded the contract - shared the same shareholder, Acharya Balkrishna, an investigation by The Indian Express has found.

Balkrishna is the co-founder and managing director of the Rs.6,199-crore consumer goods company Patanjali Ayurved Ltd and Baba Ramdev's longstanding trusted aide.

The Uttarakhand government had invited bids for the project in December 2022, offering 142 acres of land along with parking facilities, pathways, a helipad, five wooden huts, a cafe, two museums, and an observatory developed by the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board, in return for an annual...