CBI arrests Munitions India executive, two others in bribery case; ₹1.73 crore recovered in raids

The CBI arrested Munitions India executive Anil Kumar, SMPP CEO Ashish Kansal and his brother in an alleged bribery case linked to a ₹500-crore ammunition deal.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested SMPP Limited CEO Ashish Kansal, state-owned Munitions India Limited executive director Anil Kumar and his brother B Harshavardhan in an alleged bribery case linked to a ₹500-crore ammunition deal.

CBI officials said they recovered ₹1.73 crore in cash after conducting raids at Kumar’s premises in Pune

CBI officials said they recovered ₹1.73 crore in cash after conducting raids at Kumar’s premises in Pune. The CBI also seized ₹50 lakh in cash, along with incriminating documents, during searches at premises in Mysuru and Bengaluru in Karnataka and Delhi, officials said.

The CBI on Monday registered a case against Kumar on allegations that, while posted at MIL in Pune as the organisation’s executive director, he had allegedly connived with certain private vendors or contractors to demand and accept illegal gratification in exchange for extending official favours, CBI officials said on Wednesday.

CBI officers said that there were also allegations that Kumar was disclosing sensitive information concerning defence production, procurement and other strategically important activities of MlL.

“Such unauthorised disclosure has the potential to compromise the nation’s strategic and security interests, undermine the integrity of defence-related processes, and pose serious risks to national security and public safety,” a CBI officer said.

Kansal, whose firm is engaged in drone technology and manufacturing of ammunition, among others, had allegedly been maintaining regular contact Kumar in connection with an official contract of Rs. 500 crore that was awarded to the firm for the supply of ammunition to the MIL over a period of one year, the officers said.

Munitions India Limited was one of the seven defence companies carved out of the erstwhile Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) five years ago. The state-owned firm faces a clean-up and an accountability push following the corruption allegations.