3 days' police custody for censor board CEO

A Mumbai district court Tuesday sent Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) CEO Rakesh Kumar, arrested Monday in a bribery case, to three days' police custody, the CBI said.

Last Thursday, the CBI had carried out a search at Kumar's residence in Mumbai in connection with the case.

The agency has already arrested CBFC advisory panel member and an authorised agent for censor certification Shripati Mishra for allegedly demanding Rs.70,000 in bribe for issuing a certificate to "Mor Dauki Ke Bihav", a regional film from Chhatisgarh, that was scheduled to be released Aug 15, 2014.

Mishra and another CBFC advisory panel member, who was also caught while accepting bribe on behalf of the CEO, were produced in the designated court which remanded them in police custody till Wednesday.

"Searches were also conducted in the premises of all the three accused people," a CBI official said.

Members of the film fraternity Tuesday reacted to CBFC CEO's arrest in the alleged bribery case, saying the process of film-certification is "politicised".

"I don't know why people are shocked. It's something we all know. This whole damn thing is politicised. People who have no love for cinema and those who have no fear are in this place. Let's not just blame the CEO for accepting bribe, there is a whole racket that's part of this game," "Hate Story 2" director Vivek Agnihotri told IANS.

The CBFC is a statutory body under the ministry of information and broadcasting to regulate public exhibition of films under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act, 1952.