The Central Bureau of Investigation is examining all contracts handled by Anil Kumar, Executive Director of Pune-headquartered Munitions India Limited, after arresting him in an alleged bribery case linked to a Rs 500 crore ammunition supply contract. The agency is also investigating whether sensitive information relating to defence production and procurement was disclosed to private vendors.
Kumar was arrested along with his brother B Harshvardhan and Ashish Kansal, CEO and director of private defence company SMPP Ltd. The CBI has alleged that Kumar demanded and accepted illegal gratification in exchange for official favours. The arrests followed a tip-off received on October 12 concerning a contract awarded to SMPP for supplying ammunition to MIL for one year, according to the report.
The agency said it seized more than Rs 2.2 crore in cash during searches. This included Rs 1.73 crore allegedly recovered from Kumar’s premises in Pune, while Rs 50 lakh in cash and documents described as incriminating were seized during searches at properties in Mysuru, Bengaluru and Delhi that were said to be linked to him.
The CBI’s first information report refers to an alleged nexus between a public servant in a sensitive position at a strategically important defence production organisation and private contractors seeking access to sensitive information and favourable treatment. The agency is examining whether unauthorised disclosures could have affected defence production, procurement processes and other strategic activities at MIL. These remain allegations under investigation.
The FIR names SMPP and unknown accused persons. The CBI is also examining the alleged roles of Kumar’s wife, Chetnashri, and SMPP employee Ravit Kumar Tewatia. A source cited in the report said investigators were assessing the bank accounts of Kumar, his wife and other family members, and could register a separate disproportionate-assets case. The role of other MIL employees may also be examined.
The case places procurement oversight at the centre of scrutiny within a defence manufacturing system that was reorganised in 2021. MIL was created as one of seven defence public sector undertakings after the corporatisation of the erstwhile Ordnance Factory Board. It manufactures ammunition, explosives, propellants and high-energy materials for the armed forces and paramilitary units.
MIL operates 12 factories across India, including facilities at Khadki and Dehu Road in Pune, as well as plants in Aruvankadu, Bhandara, Varangon, Balangir, Itarsi, Khamaria and Nalanda. Its production range includes small- and high-calibre ammunition, mortars, rockets and grenades, making contract decisions at the company relevant to both industrial administration and national security processes.
SMPP, which won the contract under scrutiny, was established in 1985 and began as a manufacturer of pulp-based packaging materials in Sangrur, Punjab, according to the company website cited in the report. It later expanded into drone technology and ammunition manufacturing. The CBI’s investigation will determine the alleged flow of money, the role of the individuals named in the FIR and whether any sensitive information was improperly shared. The agency is currently collecting contract records and assessing the evidence seized during the searches.
