Dubai Firm Link, Secret Payoff, Rs 2.36 Crore Seized: How CBI Cracked the Lt Colonel 'Bribery' Racket

For

months the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) was working on source-based information which had tipped off that a Lieutenant Colonel was allegedly accepting bribes from private companies dealing in defense products.The BreakthroughThe CBI, however, got the big breakthrough after a private individual on behalf of a Dubai-based global logistics company paid a bribe of ₹3 lakh.

The anti-corruption agency in its FIR and documents submitted in the court claims it has evidence of a "conversation" between the Lieutenant Colonel and his wife following the payment.According to the FIR accessed by Times Now, a source informed the agency that Lt. Col. Deepak Kumar Sharma told his wife, Col. Kajal Bali—the Commanding Officer (CO) of the 16 Infantry Division Ordnance Unit (DOU) in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan—about the receipt of the bribe. He also reportedly stated that he was accumulating "undue advantages" received from several individuals for personal use.While the FIR mentions the conversation, it does not specify whether the CBI intercepted a phone call or accessed a digital chat between the couple.Arrests and ChargesOn Saturday, the CBI arrested Lt. Col. Deepak Kumar Sharma, who was serving as the Deputy Planning Officer at the International Cooperation and Exports wing of the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence. His wife, Col. Kajal Bali, has also been named as an accused in the FIR."Lt. Col. Deepak Kumar Sharma habitually indulges in corrupt and illegal activities in conspiracy with representatives of various private companies dealing in defense product manufacturing and exports, by obtaining undue advantages in exchange for providing illicit favors," the CBI FIR said.How the Bribery Racket Was CrackedThe CBI FIR details how the India operations of M/s DP World, a Dubai-based global logistics company, were involved. Two representatives, Rajiv Yadav and Ravjit Singh, were allegedly in regular contact with Lt. Col. Sharma to secure "undue favors" for the company from various government departments and ministries.October 2025: Yadav and Singh approached Sharma to arrange approvals from the Ministry of External Affairs for a consignment bound for Dubai. Using his influence, Sharma successfully obtained the required approvals.

December 8, 2025: Rajiv Yadav contacted Sharma to deliver the promised bribe. Although Sharma shared his residential address, the payment was not completed that day.December 18, 2025: "Private individual" on behalf of Dubai firm Vinod Kumar, contacted Sharma to confirm his location. In the evening, Kumar visited Sharma’s residence in Naraina Vihar, Delhi, and delivered the ₹3 lakh bribe, subsequently confirming the delivery to a contact named Madhu.After the arrest of Lt. Col. Sharma and Vinod Kumar, the CBI conducted raids at multiple locatiosn that led to the seizure of over ₹2.36 crore in cash.A senior Ministry of Defence official stated:"This action has been taken under the Government of India's 'Zero Tolerance Against Corruption' policy. The arrest of the official reflects the government's proactive approach to curbing corruption through legal and institutional frameworks."