-Pratyusha Mukherjee
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has taken into custody a serving Colonel of the Indian Army’s Ordnance Corps, posted under Eastern Command in Kolkata, in connection with an alleged bribery case involving Rs 50 lakh, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The officer, identified as Colonel Himanshu Bali, is reported to have allegedly facilitated the awarding of contracts to a Kanpur-based company, Eastern Global Limited. The allegations include manipulation of tender processes, approval of substandard samples, and clearance of pending and inflated bills, according to the FIR filed by the CBI.
The agency stated that directors of the firm allegedly paid bribes to secure Army tenders. One major contract is said to have been awarded to the company earlier this year under these circumstances.
Investigation reports indicate that Colonel Bali reportedly met representatives of the company in Kolkata’s Park Street area on April 22. The tender in question was awarded to the firm on April 24. On May 16, the officer is alleged to have demanded the remaining bribe amount of Rs 50 lakh, with payments allegedly intended to be routed through hawala channels, the CBI stated.
Following the registration of the case, Colonel Bali was formally arrested. The CBI has also named the private contractor and several others, including unidentified persons, as accused in the ongoing investigation.
The matter is under active investigation, and further details are expected as the legal process progresses.
The CBI has registered a regular case against six individuals, including: Colonel Himanshu Bali, Army Ordnance Corps, Eastern Command, Kolkata Shri Akshat Agrawal, operator of M/s Eastern Global Limited, Kanpur Shri Mayank Agrawal, father of Akshat Agrawal and resident of Kanpur Shri Ashutosh Shukla, Delhi-based associate and driver of Akshat Agrawal Shri Naresh Pal, resident of Delhi (alleged middleman) Other unknown defence officials and private individuals.
The Indian Army has not issued any official statement on the matter so far.
Meanwhile, the CBI said further investigations are underway to determine the full scope of the alleged conspiracy and identify any other beneficiaries involved.
(Image source: Wikimedia)
