CBI arrests Defence Ministry Officer Lt Col Deepak Sharma in bribery case, over ₹2 crore cash recovered, wife Colonel Kajal Bali also named in the case

CBI arrests Lt Col Deepak Sharma for bribery
CBI arrests Lt Col Sharma and seized ₹2 crore (Image via PTI)

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday, 20th December, arrested Lieutenant Colonel Deepak Kumar Sharma, a senior officer working with the Department of Defence Production under the Defence Ministry, on charges of corruption. Lt. Col. Sharma was serving as Deputy Planning Officer for International Cooperation and Exports at the time of his arrest. A private individual, Vinod Kumar, has also been taken into custody in connection with the case.

The arrests came a day after the CBI registered an FIR on 19th December based on what it described as “reliable source information.” The case names Lt. Col. Sharma, his wife, Colonel Kajal Bali, who is currently the Commanding Officer of the 16 Infantry Division Ordnance Unit in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, and several others. A Dubai-based company and its representatives are also among the accused. The charges include criminal conspiracy and bribery.

According to the CBI, Lt. Col. Sharma developed a pattern of engaging in corrupt practices while working with officials and representatives of private companies involved in defence manufacturing and exports. The agency claims he accepted bribes in return for providing illegal favours and official support to these companies.

Investigators said that two individuals, Rajiv Yadav and Ravjit Singh, were managing the Indian operations of the accused Dubai-based firm and were in constant touch with Lt. Col. Sharma. They are said to have worked closely with him to secure favours from different government departments through unlawful means. As part of this arrangement, Vinod Kumar delivered ₹3 lakh in cash to Lt. Col. Sharma on 18th December, acting on instructions from the company.

Following the arrests, the CBI conducted raids on various premises, including Delhi, Sri Ganganagar, Bengaluru, and Jammu. During the raids, the CBI managed to recover the bribe money of ₹3 lakh and also seized ₹2.23 crore in cash from Sharma’s Delhi-based residential address and another ₹10 lakh from his house located in Sri Ganganagar. Other incriminating material was also seized.

Both Lt. Col. Sharma and Vinod Kumar were produced before a court on Saturday (20th December) and have been sent to police custody until 23rd December, as investigations continue.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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