CBI Nabs Senior Aviation Official and Corporate Executive in Drone Bribery Scandal

Major Arrests in Drone Import Bribery Case

New Delhi: In a significant development, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has apprehended a deputy director general from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) along with a senior vice president from a prominent corporate entity in connection with a bribery case involving Rs 2.5 lakh. This case pertains to facilitating the import of drones for a private firm, as reported by officials on Sunday.

The operation, which took place on Saturday, led to the arrest of M Devula, who serves as the Deputy Director General at the Airworthiness Directorate of the DGCA, and Bharat Mathur, affiliated with Asteria Aerospace Ltd., a company specializing in drone technology.

Both Mathur and Devula, along with Asteria Aerospace Ltd, have been charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

Interestingly, the major corporate group associated with Mathur has not been named as an accused in the FIR and is identified as the parent company of Asteria Aerospace, according to the financial records for 2024-25.

As of now, there has been no response from Asteria Aerospace or the corporate group regarding the arrests.

The allegations against the DGCA official suggest that he solicited bribes from private individuals in exchange for granting approvals and permissions for pending applications from a private aerospace firm, as stated by a CBI spokesperson.

The CBI's investigation revealed that the Deputy Director General was arrested alongside a representative from a private company in a bribery case involving Rs 2.5 lakh, with the entire amount being seized during the operation.

Searches conducted at the residences of the accused and other private individuals across four locations in Delhi resulted in the recovery of Rs 37 lakh in cash, along with gold and silver coins and various digital devices.

The FIR filed by the CBI indicates that the case was initiated based on credible information suggesting that Devula was engaged in corrupt practices in collaboration with several private entities concerning the issuance of approvals and permissions in return for illicit benefits.

Further details from the FIR reveal that Mathur reached out to Devula on March 18 to inquire about the status of certain drone import applications from Asteria Aerospace Ltd.

Two days later, Devula reportedly asked Mathur for the number of applications, to which Mathur confirmed there were three related to Asteria Aerospace Ltd.

They agreed that a bribe of Rs five lakh per application would be required for processing the approvals, as outlined in the CBI FIR.

On April 17, Mathur and Devula met, during which Devula assured that the work would be completed that same day, with confirmation expected by evening.

A source disclosed that Devula instructed Mathur to deliver the bribe at Essex Farms, located near the IIT Delhi Flyover, by the evening of April 18, 2026.