In a major development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested a Colonel-rank officer of the Indian Army’s Eastern Command from Fort William in Kolkata on charges of alleged corruption involving defence procurement tenders.
The officer has been identified as Colonel Himanshu Bali, serving in the Army Ordnance Corps (AOC) under the Eastern Command. According to officials, he was allegedly caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of around Rs 50 lakh in exchange for facilitating defence-related contracts and clearing bills for a private supplier.
The arrest of a senior serving officer within one of the country’s most sensitive military establishments has triggered significant concern, particularly given the location of the operation inside Fort William, the Eastern Command headquarters.
CBI sources said that Bali was in regular contact with the proprietor of a Kanpur-based defence supply company, identified as M/s Eastern Global Limited, along with his father. The investigating agency claims that the officer extended undue favours to the firm, including influencing tender allocations, approving substandard material samples, and clearing inflated or fraudulent bills.
Investigators further said that meetings between the officer and the businessmen took place over several months, including a purported clandestine meeting in Kolkata’s Park Street area on April 22, outside official working hours. Shortly thereafter, on April 24, a major contract was allegedly awarded to the firm.
According to the FIR, the alleged bribe demand of Rs 50 lakh was made on May 16. The CBI claims that the payment was arranged through a hawala network operating between Delhi-NCR and Kolkata.
Acting on intelligence inputs, the agency reportedly laid a trap in the Chandni Chowk area of Delhi on Monday, where the money was allegedly being routed through intermediaries. Following the operation, the officer was detained and subsequently arrested in Kolkata under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Apart from Colonel Bali, the CBI has also named the Kanpur-based businessman, his son, and an associate identified as Ashutosh Shukla in the case, charging them with criminal conspiracy and corruption-related offences.
Officials confirmed that the arrested officer is being taken to Delhi on transit remand for further interrogation. Investigators are expected to examine the wider network behind the alleged scam, including the role of intermediaries and the process through which defence tenders were influenced.
The CBI is also probing how the alleged racket operated within the high-security environment of Fort William, raising questions about internal monitoring mechanisms and procurement oversight within the Eastern Command.
The investigation is ongoing, and further arrests have not been ruled out as the agency continues to trace financial trails and communication records linked to the case.
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