DGCA Bribery Case: Devula, Mathur Sent to Judicial Custody Till May 6
Synopsis
A Delhi court has sent DGCA Deputy Director General Mudavath Devula and aerospace executive Bharat Mathur to judicial custody till May 6 in a Rs 2.5 lakh bribery case. Post-arrest CBI raids recovered Rs 37 lakh in cash — raising fears of a wider corruption network inside India's drone regulatory system.
Key Takeaways
Mudavath Devula , Deputy Director General at the DGCA's Airworthiness Directorate , and Bharat Mathur , Senior VP at a private aerospace firm, were sent to judicial custody till May 6 by a Delhi court.
Both were arrested by the CBI on April 18, 2025 , allegedly caught red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 2.5 lakh for regulatory approvals on drone imports.
The Rouse Avenue Court had previously extended their CBI custody on April 22 by two days to allow further investigation and confrontation with evidence.
Post-arrest CBI searches at Delhi premises linked to the accused yielded Rs 37 lakh in cash , gold and silver coins, and multiple digital devices.
The CBI is investigating whether the alleged bribery network extends beyond these two individuals to other officials and private entities seeking DGCA clearances.
The case has raised serious concerns about integrity within India's civil aviation regulatory framework , particularly at a time of rapid growth in the country's drone sector.
New Delhi, April 24: A Delhi Rouse Avenue Court on Friday, April 24, remanded Mudavath Devula, a senior official of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and Bharat Mathur, a private aerospace sector executive, to judicial custody until May 6 in a bribery case. The two were produced before the court following the expiry of their Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody. They are accused of transacting a bribe of Rs 2.5 lakh in exchange for regulatory clearances related to drone imports.
Who Are the Accused and What Are the Charges?
Devula holds the post of Deputy Director General in the Airworthiness Directorate of the DGCA — a critical regulatory role responsible for certifying the airworthiness of both aircraft and drones in India. His position gave him direct authority over approvals that private companies depend on for operations and imports.
Bharat Mathur serves as Senior Vice President of a private firm with ties to the aerospace sector. The CBI alleges he functioned as an intermediary, facilitating the bribe transaction between Devula and the company seeking clearance for drone imports pending before the regulator.
Timeline of Arrests and CBI Custody
The CBI arrested both accused on April 18 after allegedly catching them red-handed while accepting the bribe of Rs 2.5 lakh. They were initially remanded to three days of CBI custody, which was subsequently extended by the court.
On April 22, the court extended their CBI custody by an additional two days after the probe agency sought more time to confront the accused with evidence and advance the investigation. Their judicial custody now runs through May 6, 2025.
Cash, Gold, and Digital Devices Recovered in Searches
Following the arrests, the CBI conducted searches at multiple premises linked to the accused across Delhi. The raids yielded Rs 37 lakh in cash, along with gold and silver coins and several digital devices — evidence the agency is examining to map the full scope of the alleged corrupt network.
The scale of the recovery — particularly the Rs 37 lakh cash — suggests that the Rs 2.5 lakh bribe may represent only one transaction in a potentially wider pattern of corruption within the regulatory framework governing India's fast-growing drone sector.
Why This Case Matters: Corruption in India's Drone Regulatory Ecosystem
India's drone industry has been on an aggressive growth trajectory, backed by the government's Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for drones and a liberalised regulatory framework introduced in recent years. The DGCA sits at the centre of this ecosystem, controlling approvals for drone imports, airworthiness certifications, and operator licences.
Allegations of bribery within the DGCA's Airworthiness Directorate raise serious questions about the integrity of India's civil aviation oversight at a time when drones are increasingly being deployed for logistics, agriculture, surveillance, and defence applications. Corruption at this level could distort fair competition and compromise aviation safety standards.
This case is not isolated. The CBI has previously investigated corruption cases involving regulatory officials across sectors including telecom, mining, and infrastructure — reflecting a systemic challenge in India's approval-based governance model where discretionary power creates vulnerability to rent-seeking behaviour.
What Happens Next
With both accused now in judicial custody till May 6, the CBI is expected to continue its investigation into the broader network of officials and private entities allegedly involved. The agency is particularly focused on whether Devula demanded bribes from multiple companies and whether Mathur facilitated similar transactions in the past.
The recovered digital devices are likely to be forensically examined for communications, transaction records, and evidence of a wider conspiracy. The outcome of this investigation could have significant implications for pending drone import applications and the credibility of the DGCA's regulatory processes. The next court date of May 6 will be a key moment to watch as the case develops.
Point of View
An industry the government has invested heavily in through PLI schemes and policy liberalisation. When the gatekeepers of airworthiness certification are allegedly for sale, the integrity of every approval they have ever granted comes into question. The recovery of Rs 37 lakh in cash from a single official's premises exposes the grotesque premium that discretionary regulatory power commands in India's approval economy. The CBI must now follow the money beyond these two individuals — because in corruption networks of this nature, the middleman and the bribe-taker are rarely the only players.
NationPress
2 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were Mudavath Devula and Bharat Mathur sent to judicial custody?
A Delhi Rouse Avenue Court sent both to judicial custody till May 6 after their CBI custody expired. They are accused of accepting a bribe of Rs 2.5 lakh in exchange for regulatory approvals related to drone imports.
What is Mudavath Devula's role at the DGCA?
Mudavath Devula serves as Deputy Director General in the Airworthiness Directorate of the DGCA. He is responsible for certifying the airworthiness of aircraft and drones in India.
What did the CBI recover during searches after the DGCA bribery arrests?
The CBI recovered Rs 37 lakh in cash, gold and silver coins, and several digital devices during searches at multiple premises linked to the accused in Delhi.
What is the next court date in the DGCA bribery case?
The next significant court date is May 6, 2025, when the judicial custody of both Mudavath Devula and Bharat Mathur is scheduled for review.
What is the broader significance of the DGCA bribery case for India's drone industry?
The DGCA controls critical approvals for drone imports and airworthiness certifications in India's rapidly growing drone sector. Corruption within this regulatory body could compromise aviation safety, distort fair competition, and undermine government-backed initiatives like the PLI scheme for drones.
