Greed unlimited: Central Board of Film Certification CEO took bribes worth Rs 500 too
31 Aug 2014 4:58 AM IST
The CEO of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Rakesh Kumar, is reportedly not cooperating with the CBI and hiding some crucial leads in connection with accepting bribes to clear regional films.
CBI sources said, ‘We are shocked to know that he even demanded Rs 500 as a bribe on many occasions. The slab of bribe rate was fixed as per the job and the cost of the regional films including producer’s urgency to release the movie.’
On the context of not cooperating with the CBI sleuths, he said, ‘He is not telling us where he hid his laptop and iPad. These items are crucial evidence for us. In most of the time he is trying to mislead our officers and hiding information on his other investments and assets,’ CBI sources said.
On 21 August, the CBI has seized nearly 2 kg of gold and diamond ornaments worth Rs 65 lakh (approx) from the locker of arrested CEO in Mumbai but failed to trace the laptop and iPad. Then they have also seized several documents of fixed deposits, long term financial policies and legal papers of six properties from the safe.
Kumar was arrested in a bribery case where his agents demanded bribe from film makers to issue them censor certificate. CBFC is a statutory body under ministry of information and broadcasting who appoints its members and the chairman. Films can be publicly exhibited in India only after they have been certified by the Board.
He was booked in the bribery case of Rs 70,000 on August 14 but was formally arrested after four days on August 18. Kumar, a 1997 batch Indian Railway Personal Service officer, who had joined the CBFC on deputation, was picked up after an agent, who was being interrogated for four days by the CBI, broke down and led the agency to evidence suggesting his alleged involvement in accepting bribes from producers to expedite film certification.
Meanwhile, a special CBI court has extended Kumar’s custody to August 31, after the CBI informed the court that he was not co-operating with investigators, and was providing misleading information pertaining to the location of two crucial items - a laptop and an iPad.
‘These items are highly essential for our investigation. Initially he claimed that he left the laptop at one of his relative’s house but we failed to find the item there. Later, he changed his statement and said that he threw it into the sea,’ CBI sources said.
CBI sources said, ‘We are shocked to know that he even demanded Rs 500 as a bribe on many occasions. The slab of bribe rate was fixed as per the job and the cost of the regional films including producer’s urgency to release the movie.’
On the context of not cooperating with the CBI sleuths, he said, ‘He is not telling us where he hid his laptop and iPad. These items are crucial evidence for us. In most of the time he is trying to mislead our officers and hiding information on his other investments and assets,’ CBI sources said.
On 21 August, the CBI has seized nearly 2 kg of gold and diamond ornaments worth Rs 65 lakh (approx) from the locker of arrested CEO in Mumbai but failed to trace the laptop and iPad. Then they have also seized several documents of fixed deposits, long term financial policies and legal papers of six properties from the safe.
Kumar was arrested in a bribery case where his agents demanded bribe from film makers to issue them censor certificate. CBFC is a statutory body under ministry of information and broadcasting who appoints its members and the chairman. Films can be publicly exhibited in India only after they have been certified by the Board.
He was booked in the bribery case of Rs 70,000 on August 14 but was formally arrested after four days on August 18. Kumar, a 1997 batch Indian Railway Personal Service officer, who had joined the CBFC on deputation, was picked up after an agent, who was being interrogated for four days by the CBI, broke down and led the agency to evidence suggesting his alleged involvement in accepting bribes from producers to expedite film certification.
Meanwhile, a special CBI court has extended Kumar’s custody to August 31, after the CBI informed the court that he was not co-operating with investigators, and was providing misleading information pertaining to the location of two crucial items - a laptop and an iPad.
‘These items are highly essential for our investigation. Initially he claimed that he left the laptop at one of his relative’s house but we failed to find the item there. Later, he changed his statement and said that he threw it into the sea,’ CBI sources said.
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