Overview
- The CBI arrested Colonel Himanshu Bali, posted with the Army Ordnance Corps at Fort William, Kolkata, after registering an FIR on May 18 and a Delhi court on Wednesday remanded him to five days' CBI custody for custodial interrogation.
- The FIR alleges Bali took bribes to favour M/s Eastern Global Limited and its operators by manipulating tender awards, approving substandard material samples and clearing pending or inflated bills for the supplier.
- The agency’s timeline in the FIR says Bali met contractor Akshat Agrawal on Park Street, Kolkata, on April 22, the tender was awarded on April 24, Bali demanded the remaining payment on May 16, and by May 18 arrangements were under way to route about Rs 50 lakh through hawala in Delhi.
- The case is filed under criminal conspiracy and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and cites relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and the CBI says custodial questioning is continuing to trace payments and other suspects.
- Investigators have named Eastern Global Limited and four individuals in the FIR and say other unknown defence officials may be involved, a development that could prompt wider scrutiny of procurement controls and informal hawala channels; the Army had not issued a public comment at the time of reporting.