The Central Bureau Of Investigation (CBI) has initiated a criminal investigation into the allegations of corruption made by Tamil actor and producer Vishal against the Central Bureau Of Film Certification (CBFC) in Mumbai. The FIR was filed against three individuals and unidentified CBFC officials. Vishal had alleged that the CBFC Mumbai office had attempted to extort a sum of Rs 6,5 lakh from him in exchange for Hindi censor rights to his latest film, “Mark Antony”.
The Indian Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed an FIR against Merlin Menaga and four other people, including Rajan M and unidentified officials of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in Mumbai. The FIR was filed after a search was carried out at four locations in the city, including the accused’s premises. The FIR alleges that in September 2023, Menaga, Ramdas, and Rajan M conspired with others to get a Rs 7 lakh bribe and to get the necessary censor certificate from the CBFC in Mumbai for a Hindi dubbed movie. The accused initially asked for the bribe to be paid on behalf of the CBFC Mumbai officials, but after some negotiation, the amount was lowered to Rs 6,54 lakh.
CBI Probes Actor Vishal’s Corruption Charge
The two accused are alleged to have accepted Rs 6.54,000 in bribes on behalf of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) Mumbai officials in the bank accounts of two of them. Subsequently, on 26 September 2023, the CBFC Mumbai allegedly issued a certificate for the Tamil dubbed version of the film, “Mark Antony”. In addition to the alleged bribe, the accused is alleged to have received an additional sum of Rs.20,000 from the private company as coordination fees for herself. The recently released Tamil film “Mark Antony” featuring Vishal and S.J. Suryah has been met with positive reviews from audiences and critics, prompting the producers to consider releasing the film in Hindi.
Vishal, the actor and producer of the film, released a video in which he accused the CBFC Mumbai of bribing him for the Hindi language version of the movie. He went on to explain the situation in a video and wrote a note, which can be read here. He said, “It’s okay to see corruption on the big screen, but not in the real world. I can’t take it anymore, especially in government offices. And it’s even worse at the CBFC Mumbai office, where I had to spend 6.5 Lacs for the Hindi language of my film. I had to pay 2 transactions, 3 Lakh for the screening and 3,5 Lakh for the certificate. I’ve never been in such a situation in my life.
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