The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a case against a high-ranking Indian Army officer, a prominent defense contractor from Kanpur, and four others for their alleged involvement in a major corruption and bribery ring operating within the Army's Eastern Command.
The investigation, entrusted to Deputy Superintendent of Police Sunil Kumar (CBI AC-II, New Delhi), exposes a network of public servants and private individuals allegedly manipulating defense tenders, approving substandard supplies, and clearing inflated bills in exchange for massive kickbacks.
The Accused
The CBI has formally registered the case under criminal conspiracy and Sections 7, 8, 9, and 10 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018) against:
Colonel Himanshu Bali, Army Ordnance Corps, Eastern Command, Fort William, Kolkata.
Shri Akshat Agrawal, Operator of M/s Eastern Global Limited, Kanpur.
Shri Mayank Agrawal, resident of 34, Cariappa Road, Kanpur Cantt (father of Akshat Agrawal).
Shri Ashutosh Shukla, Delhi-based associate/driver of Akshat Agrawal.
Shri Naresh Pal, resident of Delhi (alleged bribe receiver).
Other unknown defense officials and private individuals.
Modus Operandi:
Tenders for Cash
According to reliable source information detailed in the CBI case filing, M/s Eastern Global Limited and its subsidiaries have been actively supplying various items to defense establishments across India.
Shri Akshat Agrawal, alongside his father Mayank Agrawal, allegedly maintained regular, illicit contact with Colonel Himanshu Bali at Fort William to secure lucrative contracts through illegal means.
The connivance reportedly resulted in severe security and financial compromises, including:
* The deliberate manipulation of competitive bidding to award tenders to favored firms.
* The approval of substandard samples for military use.
* The clearance of pending and inflated financial bills.
The Paper Trail:
Timeline of the Deal
The investigation highlights a specific transaction initiated during March-April 2026 regarding a major defense contract.
April 22, 2026: Colonel Bali and Akshat Agrawal allegedly met personally outside official working hours at Park Street, Kolkata, to finalize the illicit terms of the tender.
April 24, 2026: Two days after the meeting, the tender was successfully awarded to M/s Eastern Global Limited, allegedly due to "undue favors" extended by Colonel Bali.
May 16, 2026: Colonel Bali contacted Agrawal to demand the committed bribe, directing that the cash be delivered to the Delhi-NCR region. Documents reveal Agrawal apologized for the delay, citing temporary cash constraints due to the massive size of the payment.
May 16, 2026 (Later that day): Colonel Bali allegedly bypassed Agrawal and contacted his Delhi associate, Ashutosh Shukla, instructing him directly to ensure the bribe reached a middleman identified as Naresh Pal.
The Hawala Crackdown
The plot culminated on May 18, 2026, when Akshat Agrawal finalized arrangements to route approximately Rs. 50 lakh through illegal hawala channels in Delhi's Chandni Chowk area. The CBI's source information indicated that Ashutosh Shukla was tasked with collecting the cash from the underground operators to hand it over to Naresh Pal on behalf of Colonel Bali.
The agency noted that the actions prima facie constitute serious, cognizable offenses. A full-scale investigation is underway to identify other unknown military officers who may have benefited from the long-running procurement scam.
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