CBI arrests DGCA official, corporate consultant in alleged bribery case

Mumbai: The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested a senior official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and a consultant associated with Reliance Industries Ltd in an alleged bribery case involving ₹2.5 lakh linked to drone import approvals, officials said on Sunday.

Mudavath Devula, who is deputy director-general at DGCA's Airworthiness Directorate and Bharat Mathur, the consultant, were arrested on Saturday. According to the CBI, the DGCA official allegedly demanded bribery in exchange for granting approvals and permissions for import applications pending with the civil aviation regulator. Mathur is also associated with Asteria Aerospace Ltd, a drone maker.

Reliance said Mathur was not an employee of the company. "Mr Bharat Mathur was engaged as a consultant. We are not aware of any transaction involving him of the nature being referred to, nor have we approved any such unauthorized transaction," a company spokesperson said.


The CBI in its FIR said acting on a source-based information, it registered a case on Saturday against Devula, Mathur and others under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.