New Delhi: A Delhi court has denied bail to an Army officer arrested in a corruption case, observing that he held a “crucial position” linked to matters concerning the “security, integrity and sovereignty of the nation” and that the allegations against him were “quite serious”. Special judge Gagandeep Singh on Jan 23 rejected the bail plea of Lt Col Deepak Kumar Sharma, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Dec 2025 for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 3 lakh from a Dubai-based company. The court noted that Sharma, posted as deputy planning officer (international cooperation and exports) in the Department of Defence Production, ministry of defence, handled sensitive assignments. It said there was a possibility that he could influence the investigation or witnesses, including his seniors or colleagues. According to the prosecution, the FIR was registered on the basis of source information. Searches at Sharma’s premises in Dec last year allegedly led to the recovery of the Rs 3 lakh bribe amount, unaccounted cash worth around Rs 2.2 crore and foreign currency. The agency said Sharma “habitually indulges in corrupt and illegal activities” by abusing his official position and conspiring with representatives of defence manufacturing, logistics and export firms. CBI claimed it had received inputs regarding a bribe offer from Dubai-based M/s DP World, whose India operations were allegedly overseen from Bengaluru by Rajiv Yadav and Ravjit Singh. The duo was in regular contact with Sharma and had allegedly sought his assistance in obtaining “undue favours” from govt departments. Investigators also recovered Rs 10 lakh in cash from the residence of Sharma’s wife, Col Kajal Bali, the commanding officer of the 16 Infantry Division Ordnance Unit in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan. She has also been named as an accused. Rejecting Sharma’s claim that he had “no role” in approving consignments, the court said case diaries and remand papers indicated his active involvement in facilitating approvals for the consignments of M/s DP World to Armenia. Holding that the probe was at a “nascent stage”, the court dismissed Sharma’s bail plea.
