More DGCA officials under scanner over Drone Federation's alleged forged document
A fresh complaint has been filed before the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) alleging corruption, regulatory lapses and collusion involving additional officials of the Directorate General
A fresh complaint has been filed before the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) alleging corruption, regulatory lapses and collusion involving additional officials of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) in connection with the alleged Drone Federation of India (DFI) forgery case. The complaint, filed by RTI activist Tejpratap Singh, alleges that officials failed to act despite an official inspection reportedly finding that the Drone Federation of India had used forged government documents while seeking to change its corporate name. Read Full Story On August 3, the CVC forwarded the complaint to the Chief Vigilance Officer of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs for further investigation.
The latest complaint comes even as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is already probing the matter. Earlier this year, the agency arrested DGCA Deputy Director General Mudavath Devula and Bharat Mathur, an executive associated with Asteria Aerospace Ltd., a member company of the DFI, in a separate alleged bribery case linked to drone import approvals. According to the CBI FIR, Devula allegedly demanded Rs 5 lakh per application to clear pending files. During searches, the agency reportedly recovered Rs 37 lakh in cash, along with gold, silver coins and electronic devices. FORGERY ALLEGATIONS DATE BACK TO 2023 The forgery allegations relate to a 2023 application filed by the DFI seeking to change its registered name from "Drone Federation India" to "Drone Federation of India".
Under the Companies Act, prior approval from the Central Government is required for such a name change. According to the complaint, after the Registrar of Companies raised objections, the DFI submitted a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) purportedly issued by the DGCA and bearing the signature of then Director General Arun Kumar. INSPECTION FOUND NO NOC ISSUED However, an inspection conducted by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs under Section 206 of the Companies Act reportedly concluded that the document was forged. The inspection found that the DGCA's Drone Directorate had never issued such an NOC, the file number mentioned in the document did not exist, and Arun Kumar had already been transferred before the date shown on the document.
Singh has alleged that despite these findings, officials failed to initiate appropriate action. He has also questioned why the prosecution complaint filed before a Mumbai Sessions Court allegedly did not include charges related to forgery, cheating or the use of false evidence, despite the inspection report's findings. The complaint seeks a vigilance inquiry into the role of the officials concerned, alleging deliberate inaction, regulatory failure and misuse of administrative procedures. Further investigation into the matter is underway. Ends
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