Bribery case: Lt Col entered into criminal conspiracy with two men working for Dubai-based company, alleges CBI FIR

Lt Col Deepak Kumar Sharma of the Defence Ministry, arrested by the CBI on the charge of taking Rs 3 lakh bribe, had allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy with two individuals working for a Dubai-based logistics company to arrange a clearance from the External Affairs Ministry for a consignment bound to the UAE, according to the CBI FIR.

The details of the documents were made public on Sunday after the search operations, which resulted in the recovery of over Rs 2.36 crore cash from Sharma’s premises, ended. The FIR said Sharma was posted as Deputy Planning Officer, International Cooperation and Exports, in the sensitive Department of Defence Productions of the Defence Ministry.

The agency had also searched his office in connection with the bribery case.

 The CBI received information that Sharma, a senior army officer, “habitually indulges in corrupt and illegal activities in criminal conspiracy with representatives of various private companies dealing in defence products manufacturing, export, etc.,” taking bribes from them in exchange for providing undue favours, the probe agency has claimed.

The inputs received by the CBI brought under scanner Dubai-based logistics company DP World under the scanner, considered a global company based out of the UAE. Emails seeking comments from the company remained unanswered.

Two individuals — Rajiv Yadav, whose public profile presents him as a director in the company, and Ravjit Singh — who are “looking after” the company’s India operations and are based in Bengaluru were regularly in touch with Sharma, whose wife Colonel Kajal Bali is the CO of 16th Infantry Division Ordnance Unit at Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan and a co-accused in the case.

The duo have been in regular contact with Sharma for pursuing various undue favours by illegal means for their company from various government departments and ministries, the FIR has alleged. In October, Yadav and Singh allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy with Sharma for “arranging approvals from the Ministry of External Affairs” in respect of their consignment bound for Dubai, it said.

“It is revealed that... Sharma, by using his connections and influence, got the approval issued in respect of the said consignment relating to DP World,” the CBI alleged.

Yadav had allegedly arranged for a meeting in December to make the payment to Sharma for his favour regarding the Dubai consignment. First, the payment was scheduled on December 8 at Lt Col’s Naraina Vihar residence but it could not materialise.

The second attempt was made on December 18 through one Vinod Kumar to deliver him the amount of undue advantage at the behest of Yadav and one Madhu.

“In furtherance to this, Vinod Kumar, in the evening on the same day, visited the residence of Deepak Kumar Sharma at Naraina Vihar, Delhi and handed over to him the bribe amount of Rs. Three Lakh and also confirmed the same to Mr Madhu,” the agency alleged.

The following day, the CBI registered a case and raided the residence of Sharma in Delhi and that of his wife in Sri Ganganagar, Bengaluru, Jammu and other places.

“During searches at the house of Lt. Col. Deepak Kumar Sharma in Delhi, the bribe amount of Rs Three Lakh as well as cash amount of Rs 2,23,000,00 and a cash amount of Rs 10,00,000 from the house of the accused (Col Bali) at Sri Ganganagar, in addition to other incriminating material, has been seized,” CBI Spokesperson said in a statement.

Both Sharma and Vinod Kumar, who were arrested in the case, are in CBI custody till December 23.