CBI books retired Navy captain for alleged disproportionate assets worth over Rs 3 crore

NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered an FIR against a former Indian Navy officer for allegedly amassing disproportionate assets worth over Rs 3 crore, officials said on Wednesday.The officer joined the Navy as a sub-lieutenant in July 1989 and was promoted to the rank of captain in August 2016, equivalent to a colonel in the Army, before retiring in 2024.During his tenure as captain, he held several sensitive postings, including at the Directorate of Network Centric Operations, HQ SFC (Strategic Forces Command), Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, the Directorate of Quality Assurance (Naval) Cell in BHEL, the National Security Council Secretariat, and the Directorate of Naval Design (Submarine Design Group).The CBI alleged that the officer acquired multiple assets between 2010 and 2020, a period covering much of his service as commander and captain in the Navy.During this time, the family’s assets reportedly increased from Rs 2.31 crore to Rs 6.90 crore, with the number of immovable properties nearly doubling, according to the FIR.After accounting for the income and expenditure of the officer and his family members, including his wife and two sons, investigators concluded that assets worth Rs 3.18 crore could not be satisfactorily explained, leading to a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act.The FIR stated that the officer had constructed a farmhouse on land purchased in Panchkula in 2011, adding that the cost of construction and maintenance had not been included in the assessment.It further noted that movable assets, including vehicles acquired during the check period, were also excluded from the calculation.Expenses related to the education of the officer’s children had not yet been factored in.According to investigators, the disproportionate assets are likely to rise further as additional expenditures are taken into account. The FIR also notes that the properties are located in upscale areas and alleges that the officer and his family maintained a lavish lifestyle.This comes a day after the central agency arrested a serving Indian Army colonel and a private individual in an alleged Rs 50 lakh bribery case.(With PTI inputs)