2 min readNew DelhiMay 20, 2026 05:35 AM IST
The CBI on Tuesday arrested a serving Colonel of the Indian Army after registering a case into alleged irregularities and bribery involving a private defence supplier from Kanpur, officials said.
An official identified the officer as Colonel Himanshu Bali, posted with the Army Ordnance Corps, Eastern Command, Fort William, Kolkata. “His arrest was made after an FIR was registered against him and four other persons after source-based information claimed the group colluded to secure tenders and clear inflated bills in exchange for illegal gratification,” the official said.
According to the FIR, “Reliable source information reveals that Colonel Bali in connivance with private contractor along with other persons has been indulging in corrupt practices involving demand and acceptances of illegal gratification for extending undue and illegitimate favours to the contractor and his firm. These favours include manipulation in award of tender, approve substandard samples and clear pending and inflated bills for the benefit of the company.”
In the FIR, it is alleged that multiple tenders from Eastern Command were awarded to the firm in return for substantial kickbacks paid to Colonel Bali and other unnamed persons. “During March-April 2026, a tender was allegedly awarded to the firm following regular communications between Colonel Bali and the contractor. The FIR says the two met on April 22, 2026, on Park Street, Kolkata, outside official hours to discuss the tender, and the contract was awarded on April 24,” the CBI alleged.
