Days after arresting Lieutenant Colonel Deepak Kumar Sharma in an alleged bribery case involving defence procurement favours and recovering Rs 2.26 crore from his possession, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has decided to compile a list of all tenders and projects he was associated with or heading.
Sharma, who was on deputation as deputy planning officer (international cooperation and exports) in the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence, is under scrutiny for deeper involvement.
Last week, the CBI registered a First Information Report (FIR) based on reliable source information against Lt. Col. Sharma; his wife, Col. Kajal Bali, currently serving as Commanding Officer of 16 Infantry DOU in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan; Rajiv Yadav and Ravjit Singh, India-based representatives of the Dubai-based logistics firm DP World; Madhu, and Vinod Kumar. Sharma was arrested on December 20.
“They face charges of criminal conspiracy, bribery, and related offences. Sharma was arrested when Vinod visited his house in Naraina Vihar, South-West Delhi, to deliver a bribe of Rs 3 lakh. During searches, the CBI recovered the bribe amount along with Rs 2.23 crore in cash from his residence and an additional Rs 10 lakh from his house in Sri Ganganagar,” a CBI spokesperson said.
Following his arrest, the CBI is interrogating Sharma and plans to register a fresh case of disproportionate assets against him and his wife. “We are also compiling a list of all tenders and projects associated with Sharma to uncover any suspicious financial transactions,” a CBI source said.
The case was registered after the CBI received information from a reliable source, alleging that Sharma habitually indulged in corrupt and illegal activities. “In criminal conspiracy with representatives of various private companies dealing in defence products manufacturing and export, he obtained undue advantages and bribes in exchange for providing them undue favours,” the CBI stated in its FIR.
Using technical surveillance, the CBI allegedly discovered that Sharma maintained constant contact with Yadav and Singh, who are based in Bengaluru but oversee DP World’s India operations. “They have been in regular touch with Sharma to secure various undue favours through illegal means for their company from government departments and ministries, in connivance with him,” the CBI alleged.
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“It also emerged that on October 18, Rajiv and Ravjit approached Sharma, seeking a favour for their consignment bound for Dubai. They offered him money and entered a criminal conspiracy with him to secure approvals from the Ministry of External Affairs. Using his connections and influence, Sharma approached officials, arranged meetings, and ultimately helped obtain approval for the DP World consignment,” the official said.
“After final clearance and delivery, Rajiv and Ravjit contacted Sharma on December 8 to settle the promised payment. Sharma directed them to his residence in Naraina Vihar, though delivery occurred that day due to unforeseen issues,” the official added.
As Sharma was under surveillance, Vinod approached him on December 18 on their behalf, requesting his residential address, the official alleged. “That evening, Vinod delivered a packet containing Rs3 lakh at the residence, leading to their arrests by the CBI,” he added.