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CBI arrested DGCA official M. Devula and executive Bharat Mathur in a ₹2.5 lakh bribery case linked to drone import approvals. FIR alleges ₹5 lakh per file was demanded. Raids recovered ₹37 lakh cash, valuables, and devices. Asteria Aerospace is also booked.
Representative image(Pexels)The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recently arrested a Deputy Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation's (DGCA) Airworthiness Directorate arm, along with the senior vice president of a major corporate group in connection with a ₹2.5-lakh bribery case to facilitate the import of drones for another private company, the central agency said in a press note on Sunday.
Citing officials, PTI reported that in an operation on Saturday, the CBI arrested M Devula, Deputy Director General at the Airworthiness Directorate, DGCA, and Bharat Mathur, who is also associated with an aerospace company involved in drone technology- Asteria Aerospace Ltd.
Devula, Mathur, and Asteria Aerospace have been booked under provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. The major corporate group where Mathur worked is not named as an accused in the first information report (FIR). According to Asteria's 2024–25 financial statements, it is the ultimate parent company of Asteria Aerospace.
What is the case?
According to a CBI spokesperson, Devula, the accused DGCA official, allegedly demanded undue advantage from private persons in exchange for issuing approvals and permissions for applications with the DGCA for a private aerospace company.
It said, "The CBI arrested Deputy Director General at the Airworthiness Directorate, DGCA, Headquarters, New Delhi, along with a representative of a private company in a bribery case of ₹2.5 lakh, resulting in the seizure of the entire amount."
The statement noted that the agency carried out searches at the premises of Devula and other accused across four locations in Delhi, which resulted in the seizure of cash worth ₹37 lakh, gold and silver coins, and multiple digital devices.
What did the CBI FIR reveal?
According to the agency's FIR, the case was registered based on inputs received from a reliable source, which claimed that the DGCA official was allegedly involved in corrupt and illegal activities in connivance with private entities in matters relating to the grant of approvals and permissions in exchange for undue advantage.
The FIR added that the agency received further information that Mathur contacted Devula on March 18 to enquire about the status of certain applications regarding the import of drones of Asteria Aerospace Ltd.
Days later, Devula allegedly asked Mathur about the number of applications involved, to which Mathur confirmed that there were three applications concerning Asteria Aerospace Ltd, it noted, and added, "It was settled among them that ₹five lakh per file has to be delivered as a bribe for processing the file for approval."
Further, Devula met Mathur earlier this week, where the accused public servant assured completion of the work on the same day and that a confirmation regarding the same would be provided by the end of the day.
"A source also informed that M Devula has asked Bharat Mathur to deliver the illegal gratification at Essex Farms, near IIT Delhi Flyover by the evening of 18.04.2026," the FIR mentioned.
(with PTI inputs)
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