Chennai: On Gandhi Jayanti, DGCA deputy director took bribe to overlook trainer plane's airworthiness, says CBI

CHENNAI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), New Delhi, has arrested a Deputy Director of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the director of a Salem-based air training organisation in connection with an alleged Rs 2.5 lakh bribery case involving airworthiness certification of aircraft.

The accused have been identified as Sushil Kumar Garg, Deputy Director (Airworthiness), DGCA, Meenambakkam, Chennai, and Sachin Keshav Bhane, Director of Ekvi Air Training Organisation Pvt Limited.

According to the CBI, reliable information was received that Garg was allegedly seeking illegal gratification from Bhane for issuing airworthiness certificates to aircraft operated by the organisation without ensuring full compliance with prescribed airworthiness and safety requirements. The organisation, registered with the Registrar of Companies in Mumbai, operates seven aircraft and has its training base at Salem Airport in Kamalapuram, Omalur taluk, Salem district, the agency said.

The CBI said Garg had conducted an airworthiness audit/inspection of the organisation’s aircraft on July 31. He allegedly sought a bribe in return for providing a favourable audit report while overlooking deficiencies in the fleet. However, he could not collect the money on that occasion as he was accompanied by a senior officer.

According to the case registered by the CBI, Garg subsequently informed that he would visit the training facility in Salem in the first week of October to collect the bribe. The agency said that negotiations between Garg and Bhane on October 2 resulted in an agreement that Rs 50,000 would be paid per audit/transaction.

The CBI further alleged that Bhane handed over a packet containing five bundles of currency notes totalling Rs 2.5 lakh to Garg on October 2. The agency also alleged that Garg had previously received a mobile phone worth about Rs 50,000 from Bhane.

The CBI has registered a case against Garg, Bhane, the company and others under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Prevention of Corruption Act. Both men have been arrested and further investigation is under way.