Mumbai: CBI probes Rs 6.5L payoff for censor certificate

Representation Pic

Based on Tamil actor Vishal's allegations on social media, claiming that he paid a bribe of Rs 6.5 lakh to obtain a censor certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for the release of his film "Mark Antony" dubbed in Hindi, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated a case against three private individuals and unidentified others, including public servants from the CBFC in Mumbai.

According to the CBI, it is alleged that in September 2023, a private individual conspired with others to obtain a bribe of Rs 7,00,000 in order to secure the necessary censor certificate from the CBFC in Mumbai for a Hindi-dubbed movie. It is further alleged that, as part of this conspiracy, she initially demanded a bribe on behalf of CBFC Mumbai officials, amounting to Rs 7,00,000 from the complainant.

After negotiations, she allegedly accepted Rs 6,54,000 as a bribe on behalf of CBFC Mumbai officials, with the funds being deposited into two bank accounts belonging to two other accused individuals. On September 26, the required certificate for the Hindi-dubbed movie was allegedly issued by CBFC Mumbai. Additionally, the accused reportedly received Rs 20,000 in her bank account from a private company as coordinating fees for herself. Of the Rs 6,54,000 received, Rs 6,50,000 was allegedly immediately withdrawn in cash.

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The CBI conducted searches at four locations, including in Mumbai, at the premises of the accused and others associated with them, leading to the recovery of incriminating documents, as stated by the CBI. The individuals named in the FIR include Merlin Menaga, Jeeja Ramadas, and Rajasn M, all of whom are individuals suspected of having connections with CBFC officials, along with unidentified CBFC officials mentioned in the FIR. Actor Vishal recently shared details of the bribe transaction in a social media video.