Delhi Court Rejects Bail Plea of Army Lt. Colonel in Graft Case Involving Armenia Shipment

A Delhi court has rejected the bail petition of an Army officer accused of accepting bribes, citing the “serious” nature of the charges and the officer’s sensitive role in matters concerning national security and sovereignty. The case involves allegations that Lieutenant Colonel Deepak Kumar Sharma accepted a bribe to facilitate the shipment of goods from a Dubai-based company to Armenia.

Bail Plea Rejected
Special Judge Gagandeep Singh dismissed Sharma’s bail request on 23 January. Sharma was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in December 2025 for allegedly taking ₹3 lakh in bribes from the Dubai company.

Court Finds Active Involvement in Shipment Approval
Sharma claimed he had no role in approving the shipments. However, the court noted that case documents and remand papers indicate his active involvement in securing approvals for shipments from DP World to Armenia. Considering that the investigation is still in its early stages, the court denied his bail.

Risk of Influencing Witnesses
The court highlighted that Sharma, as Deputy Project Officer (International Cooperation & Export) in the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Production Department, held a sensitive position. There was a concern he could potentially influence witnesses, including senior officers and colleagues.

Evidence Recovered
According to the prosecution, during a search of Sharma’s residence in December, authorities allegedly seized ₹3 lakh in bribe money, approximately ₹2.2 crore in unaccounted cash, and foreign currency. The CBI claimed that Sharma misused his official position and colluded with defence manufacturing, logistics, and export company representatives to carry out repeated corrupt and illegal activities.

Wife Also Accused
The investigation further revealed that Sharma’s wife, Colonel Kajal Bali, was also implicated. Investigators reportedly recovered ₹10 lakh in cash from her residence. Colonel Bali commands the 16 Infantry Division Ordnance Unit in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan.

The CBI stated that it received information regarding the bribe offer from the Dubai-based DP World, allegedly coordinated in India by Rajeev Yadav and Ravjeet Singh in Bangalore, who were in regular contact with Sharma to obtain “undue benefits” from government departments.