New Delhi: A Delhi court on Wednesday extended the CBI custody of DGCA official Mudawat Devula and private company official Bharat Mathur by two days. The case relates to an alleged bribe of ₹2.5 lakh for regulatory approval.
The accused were produced before the Rouse Avenue Court after the expiry of their three-day CBI remand. The investigating agency had sought five days of custody for further questioning, but the court granted only two days.-
CBI Arrested Red-Handed
Mudawat Devula, Deputy Director General in the Directorate of Airworthiness of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and Bharat Mathur, Senior Vice President of a private aerospace company, were arrested red-handed by the CBI on April 18th while allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹2.5 lakh (approximately $2.5 million).
According to the CBI, Devula is accused of demanding undue favors from private companies in exchange for granting approvals.
Role of Middleman and Seizures
Bharat Mathur is accused of acting as a middleman between a DGCA official and a company seeking drone import approvals. Following the arrests, the CBI raided several locations in Delhi, seizing ₹37 lakh in cash, gold and silver coins, and several digital devices.
The CBI registered a formal case in this matter on April 18th and is now investigating the entire network.
Political Reactions and Questions
The matter has also drawn political backlash. Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) MLA Rohit Pawar alleged corruption within the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). He stated on the social media platform X that the arrest was only of a low-level official and that higher-level officials within the organization could also be involved.
He also stated that if DGCA approvals are being granted based on bribes, it raises serious questions about aviation safety and the regulatory system.