CBI is investigating the alleged bribery and sensitive defence information disclosure case
In the order, Special Judge RR Mendhe noted that CBI had recovered Rs1.67 crore from Kumar’s residence and that witness statements prima facie indicated Kansal’s involvement in alleged illegal transactions. The courier was allegedly paid Rs67,200 as commission, stated the court order. The court also highlighted an alleged earlier transaction on Aug 25. The defence further challenged the arrest, arguing that notice under Section 35(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) should have been issued for offences carrying a maximum seven-year sentence. Kansal was arrested on Oct 13 and had undergone 25 days of custody when the application was considered.
Pune: A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into an alleged bribery and sensitive defence information disclosure case here has revealed several key findings.
A witness told investigators that Kumar had instructed him to collect certain packets from a hotel in Sangamwadi. The court noted that WhatsApp call-log screenshots corroborated the communication and said the possibility of several such transactions required investigation. These include alleged cash deliveries through couriers, a previous transaction involving bags handed over at a city-based hotel, and deleted WhatsApp conversations between a defence manufacturer and a senior official of a govt-owned ammunition company. A Pune special CBI court has rejected the bail application of Ashish Shivchand Kansal, CEO and director-promoter of SMPP Ltd, observing that the possibility of multiple illegal transactions between him and co-accused Anil Kumar , executive director of Munitions India Ltd (MIL), requires a thorough investigation. Subsequently, he allegedly received a WhatsApp call from a number displaying Kansal’s name, asking him to reach the hotel. The witness claimed that Kansal handed over bags to him, which he later delivered to Kumar’s residence. It also raised questions about prior sanction for the investigation against Kumar and alleged deficiencies in communicating the grounds of arrest. The case remains at the investigation stage, with no chargesheet filed. The court rejected bail, citing the seriousness of the allegations, the prima facie material and the crucial stage of the investigation.