Action taken under govt's zero-tolerance policy against corruption: MoD official on bribery case

New Delhi, Dec 21 (PTI) A day after an officer posted in the department of defence production was arrested by CBI for allegedly taking Rs 3 lakh in bribe, senior officials of the Defence Ministry on Sunday said the action has been taken under the government's policy of "zero-tolerance against corruption".

The arrest of the official reflects the central government's "proactive approach to curb corruption" through legal and institutional frameworks, they said.

The CBI on Saturday arrested Lt Col Deepak Kumar Sharma, posted in the Department of Defence Production under the Defence Ministry, for allegedly taking Rs 3 lakh in bribe from a Bengaluru-based company, officials said.

The CBI had registered the case against Sharma, Deputy Planning Officer, International Cooperation and Exports, Department of Defence Production, and his wife, Col Kajal Bali, CO, 16 Infantry Division Ordnance Unit (DOU), Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, officials said on Saturday.

Lt Col Sharma had allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy with two individuals working for a Dubai-based logistics company to arrange a clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs for a consignment bound to the UAE, according to the CBI FIR.

The details of the documents were made public on Sunday after the search operations, which resulted in the recovery of over Rs 2.36 crore cash from Sharma's premises, ended.

A senior official of the defence ministry on Sunday said, "The action has been taken under the government's stated policy of zero-tolerance against corruption." "The arrest of the official reflects the government's proactive approach to curb corruption through legal and institutional frameworks," the official said. PTI KND NSD NSD