Ministry of Defence
NEW DELHI: The defence ministry on Sunday said the arrest of a serving army officer in an alleged bribery case reflects the government’s “zero tolerance” approach to corruption.Also Read: CBI nabs army officer and another person in bribery case“The present action has been taken in line with the Government of India’s stated policy of ‘Zero Tolerance Against Corruption.’ The arrest demonstrates the government’s proactive approach to curbing corruption through legal and institutional mechanisms,” a senior defence ministry official told news agency ANI.The statement came a day after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested Lieutenant Colonel Deepak Kumar Sharma and Vinod Kumar, a private individual and the alleged middleman, in connection with the case linked to defence-related clearances and favours.The premier investigative agency alleged that the duo acted as “conduits” for the delivery of bribes.Lt Col Sharma, who was serving as deputy planning officer in the Department of Defence Production under the Ministry of Defence, has been accused of “habitually engaging” in corrupt practices, including accepting bribes from private defence firms in return for undue favours.According to the CBI, the officer was in contact with a Dubai-based defence company through its representatives, Rajiv Yadav and Ravjit Singh, who are reportedly based in Bengaluru and managed the firm’s Indian operations. Investigators allege that Yadav and Singh were in regular touch with Sharma and coordinated with him to secure favourable outcomes for the company through illegal means.The case also names Lt Col Sharma’s wife, who is also a serving army officer. Colonel Kajal Bali is currently posted as the commanding officer of the 16 Infantry Division Ordnance Unit in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan. The FIR further mentions several unidentified individuals and a Dubai-based company.As per the CBI, on December 18, Kumar allegedly delivered a bribe of Rs 3 lakh to Sharma on behalf of the company.During searches conducted at multiple locations, the agency seized large sums of cash. A search of Lt Col Sharma’s residence in Delhi led to the recovery of Rs 2.23 crore in cash, while Rs 10 lakh was seized from the residence of Colonel Bali.The CBI carried out searches across several locations in Delhi, Sri Ganganagar, Bengaluru and Jammu as part of the probe.The officer and the alleged middleman were produced before a court on Saturday and remanded to police custody until December 23.The CBI said further investigation into the case is underway and additional aspects are being examined.
