NewsGate Press Network

In a late-night development on Saturday the 20th of December 2025, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested one serving officer along with a civilian worker in a bribery related case in Department of Defence Production in Ministry of Defence (MoD).

According to a release issued by the MoD, the officer has been identified as Lt Col Deepak Kumar Sharma posted as a Deputy Planning Officer in the  International Cooperation and Exports section.

The other arrested person is a private individual, Vinod Kumar.

Both arrested have been slapped with alleged bribery and criminal conspiracy charges and were remanded to police custody by a magistrate.

The MoD statement said the case was registered on the basis of reliable source information against Lt Col Sharma, his wife Col Kajal Bali, currently Commanding Officer, 16 Infantry Division Ordnance Unit (DOU) at Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan, and other accused, including a Dubai-based company.

The allegations pertain to criminal conspiracy and bribery, with Lt Col Sharma accused of habitually indulging in corrupt and illegal activities in collusion with representatives of private companies engaged in defence manufacturing and exports.

He is alleged to have obtained undue advantages in exchange for extending illegal favours to such firms.

According to the CBI, Rajiv Yadav and Ravjit Singh, who are stated to be handling India operations of the accused company and are based in Bengaluru, were in regular contact with Lt Col Sharma.

They allegedly conspired with him to seek undue favours for the company from various government departments and ministries through illegal means.

The agency further alleged that Vinod Kumar delivered a bribe of Rs 3 lakh to Lt Col Sharma on Thursday on behalf of the said company.

Late night searches continued at  multiple locations over the weekend in Sri Ganganagar, Bengaluru, Jammu and other places.

During searches at Lt Col Sharma’s residence in Delhi, the CBI recovered the bribe amount of Rs 3 lakh along with cash of Rs 2,23,000, besides other incriminating material.

Additionally, cash amounting to Rs 10 lakh was seized from the accused’s residence in Sri Ganganagar.

Search operations at Lt Col Sharma’s office premises in New Delhi are continuing, the statement said.