A Delhi court has extended the CBI custody of Army officer Colonel Himanshu Bali by five days in connection with a bribery case. Colonel Bali, along with businessman Akshat Agrawal and his father Mayank Agrawal, is being investigated for alleged corruption in defence tenders and false bill clearances. The court granted the extension to facilitate further investigation into the case, which involves charges of criminal conspiracy and violations of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The CBI had requested an extension of custodial interrogation for Colonel Bali and the two co-accused to delve deeper into the corruption allegations surrounding defence procurement processes. The case alleges a conspiracy involving Colonel Bali, private individuals, and defence contractors to manipulate procurement procedures for personal gain. Multiple individuals, including Akshat Agrawal, Mayank Agrawal, Ashutosh Shukla, and Naresh Pal, have been named as accused in the case.
Colonel Bali is suspected of using his position to influence tender issuance in favor of a private company, approve substandard materials, and expedite the clearance of pending and inflated bills in exchange for illicit payments. Earlier, the court had granted five days of CBI custody to Colonel Bali for custodial interrogation, focusing on uncovering potential corruption links between defence personnel and private contractors within the procurement system.
