Def. Min: Arrest of Army Officer, Middlemen Result of Zero Tolerance Against Graft
New Delhi: The ministry of defence on Sunday said that the arrest of an Army officer posted in the department of defence production and a middleman in an alleged bribery case was in line with the government’s policy of “zero tolerance against corruption”.
“The present action has been taken under the Government of India’s stated policy of zero tolerance against corruption. The arrest of the official reflects the government’s proactive approach to curbing corruption through legal and institutional frameworks,” defence ministry officials said.
The CBI on Saturday arrested Lt Col Deepak Kumar Sharma and a private individual, Vinod Kumar, in connection with the case.
According to the CBI, the case was registered on the basis of reliable source information against Lt Col Sharma, Deputy Planning Officer (International Cooperation and Exports) in the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence; his wife Col Kajal Bali, Commanding Officer of the 16 Infantry Division Ordnance Unit in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan; and others, including a Dubai-based company. The allegations pertain to criminal conspiracy and bribery.
The agency alleged that Lt Col Sharma was habitually involved in corrupt and illegal activities and had entered into a criminal conspiracy with representatives of private defence manufacturing and export companies. He allegedly obtained undue advantages in the form of bribes in exchange for extending favours to these firms.
As per the CBI, on December 18, 2025, Vinod Kumar allegedly delivered a bribe of Rs 3 lakh to Lt Col Sharma on behalf of a company.
During searches conducted at multiple locations, the agency seized substantial amounts of cash. Searches at Sharma’s residence in Delhi led to the recovery of Rs 2.23 crore in cash, while Rs 10 lakh was seized from his wife’s residence in Sri Ganganagar.
The CBI carried out searches across Delhi, Sri Ganganagar, Bengaluru, and Jammu as part of the investigation.
Both accused were produced before a court on Saturday and remanded to police custody until December 23. The CBI said further investigation is underway and additional aspects of the case are being examined.