Bribery case: CBI arrests DGCA official, corporate VP in drone import row 

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Bharat Mathur, Senior Vice President of a major corporate group, and Mudavath Devula, Deputy Director General at the Airworthiness Directorate of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), in a Rs 2.5 lakh bribery case linked to drone imports, officials said on Sunday. 

The arrests were made during an operation on Saturday. Mathur, who is also associated with an aerospace company involved in drone imports, and Devula were taken into custody for their alleged roles in facilitating regulatory approvals. 

According to a CBI spokesperson, the accused DGCA official allegedly demanded undue advantage from private individuals in exchange for issuing approvals and permissions for applications pending with the regulator on behalf of a private aerospace company. 

"The CBI arrested Deputy Director General at the Airworthiness Directorate, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Headquarters, New Delhi, along with a representative of a private company in a bribery case of Rs. 2.5 lakh resulting in the seizure of the entire amount," the agency said in a statement. 

Following the arrests, the agency conducted searches at multiple locations linked to the accused in Delhi. The raids led to the recovery of Rs 37 lakh in cash, along with gold and silver coins and several digital devices, the statement added. 

The case highlights alleged irregularities in regulatory clearances related to the import of drones by private players, with the investigation currently underway. 

(With inputs from PTI)