The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a serving Lieutenant Colonel of the Defence Ministry in a major bribery case, officials said on Saturday. Lieutenant Colonel Deepak Kumar Sharma and a private individual, Vinod Kumar, were arrested on December 20, 2025, following an investigation into alleged corruption linked to defence contracts.
According to the CBI, the case was registered on December 19, 2025, based on credible inputs. The agency alleges that Lt Col Sharma, who was posted in the Department of Defence Production and handled international cooperation and exports, had been accepting bribes from private defence companies in return for extending undue favours and facilitating government approvals.
Dubai-linked firm under scanner
Investigators said the probe has revealed the involvement of a Dubai-based company operating in India. Its alleged operations were being handled by Rajiv Yadav and Ravjeet Singh from Bengaluru. The CBI claims both were in regular contact with Lt Col Sharma and were working in tandem with him to secure official clearances and other benefits for their company.
The agency further alleged that Vinod Kumar acted as an intermediary and, on December 18, 2025, delivered a bribe of ₹3 lakh to Lt Col Sharma on behalf of the company. This transaction reportedly formed the basis of the arrests.
Raids, cash recovery and remand
As part of the investigation, the CBI conducted searches at multiple locations, including Delhi, Sriganganagar, Bengaluru and Jammu. During searches at Lt Col Sharma’s Delhi residence, officials recovered ₹3 lakh allegedly received as bribe money, along with additional cash amounting to about ₹2.23 lakh. A separate search at his house in Sriganganagar, Rajasthan, led to the seizure of ₹10 lakh in cash and several important documents. Searches at his office in New Delhi are still underway.
Both accused were produced before a court, which remanded them to police custody until December 23, 2025. The CBI said the role of other individuals linked to the case is also under investigation.
