Censor Board CEO Rajesh Kumar under scanner for taking bribe of Rs 70,000

Mumbai: A top official the country’s censor board has come under the CBI scanner for allegedly demanding Rs 70,000 from a certified agent for clearing a regional film as the agency searched his house today and arrested an agent and advisory panel member today. CBI sources said the agency is carrying out searches at the residence of Rakesh Kumar, CEO of Central Board of Film Certification, along with two other middlemen.

The sources said an authorised agent for censor certification had approached CBI alleging that another agent Shripati Mishra has been demanding Rs 70,000 on behalf of Rakesh Kumar for issuing the censor certificate for regional language film of Chhattisgarh “Mor Dauki Ke Bihav”. An Indian Railways Personnel Officer (IRPS) Rakesh Kumar has joined as CEO of CBFC in January this year. The sources said producers of the film had wanted an urgent certificate as the date of the release of movie was on August 15, 2014.

After getting the complaint, CBI laid a trap at number of locations to catch the suspects while receiving the bribe for arranging the censor board clearance for the movie. ”Mishra was trapped while demanding and accepting of Rs. 70,000 on behalf of Rakesh Kumar, CEO, CBFC. Sarvesh Jaiswal, advisory panel member, CBFC, Mumbai was also nabbed while accepting the bribe amount on behalf of Kumar. Both these accused are arrested and will be produced in the competent court in due course of time,” a CBI official privy to the searches said here today.

When contacted, CBI spokesperson said the searches are going on at various locations including the residence and official premises of the suspects. The sources said searches at the residences of Mishra, Jaiswal and Kumar are in progress.