CBI books censor board personnel, 3 others after Tamil actor Vishal raises bribery allegations

After due negotiation between the complainant and the accused, she allegedly accepted Rs 6.54 lakh as bribe on behalf of CBFC officials in the bank accounts of Ramdas and Rajan, said officials.

The officials added that Rs 6.5 lakh was instantly withdrawn from their bank accounts, and the CBFC issued the censor certificate on September 26.

“It was also alleged that in addition to the said amount, Menaga obtained Rs 20,000 in her bank account from the account of a private company as coordinating fees for herself,” added CBI officials.

In his social media post a week ago, Vishal gave details of his monetary transactions to alleged middlemen who sought bribes to certify his film. He also appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to investigate the “scam” at the CBFC’s Mumbai office.

A day later, taking cognisance of his allegations, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said the government had zero tolerance for corruption and assured him that strictest action would be taken against the guilty.

Ordering an “immediate inquiry” into the allegations, the government last week dispatched Additional Secretary, I&B, Neerja Sekhar, to Mumbai, with instructions to conduct an inquiry and submit the report to the ministry at the earliest. They added that Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur directed the ministry to maximise the use of technology to ensure transparency in slotting and implementation of faceless systems wherever possible.

Searches were conducted at four locations, including in Mumbai at the premises of the accused and others associated with them, leading to the recovery of incriminating documents, the agency stated, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

The CBFC, on its part, insists that despite the online certification system (E-Cinepramaan) in place, film producers and applicants still choose to apply through intermediaries or agents. In a statement, they cautioned filmmakers to “not deal with any intermediary or third-party agent”.

“If any third party is claiming they represent CBFC and are demanding any sum of money, please report it immediately to CBFC,” it said.

However, the certification body – with filmmaker Prasoon Joshi as its chairman and Indian Railway Stores Service (IRSS) officer Ravinder Bhakar as its CEO – said it has taken note of the allegations very seriously and will take “strictest action” against anyone found involved. It also warned against any “attempt to malign the image of CBFC”.