CBI arrests DGCA deputy director general in bribery case
What's the story
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Mudavath Devula, a deputy director general at the Airworthiness Directorate of the DGCA headquarters in Delhi, along with a representative of a private company, in a ₹2.5 lakh bribery case. The other accused is Bharat Mathur, a senior vice president at a private organization. The arrests were made after the agency received complaints that Devula sought undue advantage for granting approvals and permissions for applications pending with the DGCA.
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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Deputy Director General at the Airworthiness Directorate, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Headquarters, New Delhi, along with a representative of a private company in a bribery case of Rs. 2.5 Lakhs, resulting… pic.twitter.com/apfyCERb7T
— ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2026
Investigation progress
CBI recovers ₹37 lakh cash, gold, silver coins
In a press release, the CBI said that the entire bribe amount of ₹2.5 lakh has been recovered. It also conducted searches at four locations in Delhi linked to the accused and other private individuals. During these raids, officials recovered ₹37 lakh in cash, gold and silver coins, and multiple digital devices.
License facilitation
Bribe allegedly sought for drone manufacturing unit license
NDTV, citing sources, reported that the bribe was allegedly sought to facilitate the issuance of a license for a drone manufacturing unit. Per PTI, Mathur is associated with an aerospace company involved in drone technology, Asteria Aerospace Ltd. Devula, Mathur, and Asteria Aerospace have been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita of 2023. However, the corporate group where Mathur worked is not identified as an accused in the preliminary information report (FIR).