A major corruption scandal has surfaced within the Indian Army, sending shockwaves through the defence establishment. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Lieutenant Colonel Deepak Kumar Sharma, an officer working under the Ministry of Defence’s Department of Defence Production, in a bribery case involving crores of rupees.
Lieutenant Colonel Sharma is currently serving as Deputy Planning Officer (International Cooperation and Exports) in the Department of Defence Production. Acting on credible intelligence, the CBI conducted a well-planned operation on Saturday and caught him red-handed while accepting a bribe of ₹3 lakh from a private defence manufacturing company based in Bengaluru.
Massive Cash Recovery During Searches
Following the arrest, CBI officials carried out searches at multiple locations linked to the accused. At Sharma’s residence in Delhi, investigators seized approximately ₹2.23 crore in cash. In addition, another ₹10 lakh was recovered from a house in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, where his wife resides. In total, the agency seized around ₹2.36 crore in unaccounted cash during the operation.
Allegations of Regular Bribe-Taking
According to the CBI, Lieutenant Colonel Sharma had been regularly accepting bribes to extend undue favours to select private companies involved in defence production and exports. The agency revealed that on December 18, a middleman named Vinod Kumar delivered the ₹3 lakh bribe to Sharma on behalf of the Bengaluru-based firm. Both Sharma and Vinod Kumar were arrested during the trap operation.
Wife Named in FIR, Wider Conspiracy Suspected
The CBI has also named Sharma’s wife, Colonel Kajal Bali, in the FIR. She is currently serving as the Commanding Officer at the 16 Infantry Division Ordnance Unit in Sri Ganganagar. Investigators suspect that the couple conspired with representatives of a Dubai-based company to facilitate illegal benefits in defence-related contracts.
Raids Across Multiple Cities
Simultaneous searches were conducted in Delhi, Bengaluru, Jammu, and Sri Ganganagar as part of the investigation. During these raids, officials seized several incriminating documents, electronic devices, and digital evidence, which are expected to play a crucial role in the ongoing probe.
A court has remanded the accused to CBI custody until December 23 for further interrogation.
Shockwaves in Defence Establishment
The exposure of such a large-scale bribery racket within a critical department of the defence sector has sparked widespread concern. The case highlights serious lapses and has raised questions about corruption in defence procurement and export processes. Further investigation is underway to uncover the full extent of the network and identify other possible beneficiaries involved in the scam.
