CBI arrests Army colonel in Kolkata over ₹50 lakh military tender bribery case

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Colonel Himanshu Bali, an officer of the Indian Army’s Army Ordnance Corps (AOC), in ₹50 lakh bribery case linked to military tenders.

According to reports, the officer was posted under the Eastern Command at Fort William in Kolkata. The CBI alleged that he helped a Kanpur based company, Eastern Global Limited, in getting Army tenders by favouring the firm during the tender process. The CBI claimed that the company’s directors paid bribes to secure contracts. The agency also alleged that Colonel Bali approved substandard samples and helped clear pending and inflated bills of the company.

Colonel Bali reportedly met representatives of the company in Kolkata’s Park Street area on April 22, 2026. Two days later, on April 24, 2026, a major Army tender was awarded to the firm.

The agency further alleged that on May 16, the officer demanded the remaining bribe amount of ₹50 lakh. The money was reportedly planned to be transferred through hawala channels. CBI officials also said searches and questioning were carried out as part of the investigation to collect documents and financial details linked to the alleged bribery network. 

The case has been registered under Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, along with sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act. After registering the case, the CBI arrested the Colonel and detained other accused persons connected to the private company. Several unknown persons have also been named in the case.

The Army has yet to release an official statement on the arrest so far.