CBI Probes Actor Vishal’s Allegations Against Censor Board:
Tamil actor Vishal, who regained success with his hit film ‘Mark Antory,’ leveled serious allegations against certain individuals and officials within the Central Board of Film Certification.
Promptly responding to the allegations, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated a case against three private individuals and numerous unidentified persons, which also involves officials from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The actor claimed that he was required to offer a bribe of Rs 6.5 lakh in order to obtain a censor certificate for the Hindi version of his movie, “Mark Antony,” which made its debut on September 28.
CBI stated that in September 2023, an allegation was made that an individual conspired with others to secure a bribe of Rs. 7,00,000/- and obtain the necessary censor certificate from CBFC, Mumbai for a Hindi-dubbed movie.
Furthermore, it was claimed that as part of this conspiracy, she initially requested a bribe of Rs. 7,00,000/- from the complainant on behalf of CBFC Mumbai officials. After negotiations, she purportedly received Rs. 6,54,000/- as a bribe on behalf of CBFC Mumbai officials, with the amount being deposited into two bank accounts belonging to two other accused individuals.
The agency reported that the accused received 20,000 in her bank account from a private company.
Furthermore, the agency conducted searches at four locations in Mumbai connected to the accused and additional individuals, resulting in the discovery of compelling evidence. The individuals named in the case are Merlin Menaga, Jeeja Ramdas, and Rajan M.
In a prior video statement, Vishal addressed Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, detailing the situation. He explained that they initially applied for a certificate online, but due to a technical issue, they had to visit the CBFC office in Mumbai at the last minute. To their surprise, upon visiting the office, they were presented with the option to pay 6.5 lakh rupees to obtain the certification on the same day, leaving them with no alternative.
Vishal further disclosed that they were required to pay 3 lakh rupees for the screening to take place at the CBFC and an additional 3.5 lakh rupees to obtain the certificate. He mentioned that a woman informed him that it was a common practice for individuals to pay 4 lakh rupees when submitting films 15 days before the release date. Feeling compelled, they made the payments in two installments. Vishal urged higher authorities to investigate such practices if they are prevalent in government offices.
Also read: India Secures 20th Gold as Dipika-Harinder Triumph in Squash Final at Asian Games
