Defence ministry says arrest of army officer shows 'zero-tolerance' policy against corruption

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Senior officials in the Defence Ministry on Sunday said that recent action against a serving officer is in line with the Centre’s firm stand against graft.

“The action has been taken under the government's stated policy of zero-tolerance against corruption.” the official said. They said the arrest of the official reflects the government's proactive approach to curb corruption through legal and institutional frameworks.

The comments came a day after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) detained Lt Col Deepak Kumar Sharma, currently serving in the Department of Defence Production, on charges linked to accepting a bribe of Rs 3 lakh from a Bengaluru-based firm.

Investigators said a case had been lodged not only against Lt Col Sharma, who was functioning as Deputy Planning Officer (International Cooperation and Exports) in the department, but also against his wife, Col Kajal Bali, who is posted as Commanding Officer of the 16 Infantry Division Ordnance Unit in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan.

According to the FIR, the officer is suspected of conspiring with two persons associated with a logistics firm headquartered in Dubai. The alleged plan involved facilitating clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs for a shipment destined for the UAE.

Officials said details from seized documents were disclosed on Sunday after search operations concluded. These searches reportedly led to the recovery of cash amounting to more than Rs 2.36 crore from premises linked to Sharma.

The CBI confirmed that the arrest was made on Saturday as part of its ongoing probe into the matter.