Sri Ganganagar: A defence-related bribery case being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has revealed strong links to Rajasthan, following the recovery of a large amount of cash from an Army officer’s residence in Sri Ganganagar.
According to an official CBI press release, the agency recovered ₹10 lakh in cash from the Sri Ganganagar residence of Colonel Kajal Bali, who is currently posted as the Commanding Officer of the Divisional Ordnance Unit (DOU) in Sri Ganganagar. She is the wife of Lieutenant Colonel Deepak Kumar Sharma, who has been arrested in connection with the case.
The CBI stated that Lieutenant Colonel Deepak Kumar Sharma was arrested for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹3 lakh from a private company based in Bengaluru. During searches conducted at his Delhi residence, the agency claimed to have recovered approximately ₹2.36 crore in cash along with other incriminating materials.
Raids Conducted Across Multiple Cities
As part of the investigation, the CBI carried out simultaneous search operations in several locations, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Jammu, and Sri Ganganagar. The recovery of cash from the Sri Ganganagar residence has further strengthened the agency’s case. The CBI has also registered a case against Colonel Kajal Bali in connection with the matter.
Middleman Also Arrested
In this case, a suspected middleman, Vinod Kumar, has also been arrested. The CBI alleges that on December 18, Vinod Kumar delivered the bribe amount to Lieutenant Colonel Deepak Kumar Sharma on behalf of the Bengaluru-based company.
According to the agency, the case was registered on December 19 following the receipt of credible intelligence inputs. Investigators allege that the accused officer was involved in a conspiracy to provide undue benefits to certain private companies engaged in the manufacturing and export of defence-related products.
CBI officials further claimed that representatives of the Bengaluru company, identified as Rajeev Yadav and Ravjeet Singh, were in regular contact with the accused officer regarding the alleged illegal dealings.
Accused Sent to CBI Custody
All accused persons were produced before the court, which remanded them to CBI custody until December 23. The agency has stated that the investigation is ongoing and that all aspects of the case are being examined in detail.
The case has once again brought the issue of corruption in defence procurement and related processes into sharp focus, with further revelations expected as the probe continues.