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1. ROHIT SHETTY UNDER CBI SCANNER FOR BRIBING EX-CENSOR CHIEF The CBI’s Mumbai unit has recommended the registration of a case against producers of the box-office hit film _Singham Returns_,
on charges of bribing former chief of the Central Board for Film Certification (CBFC), Rakesh Kumar. The recommendation was sent to the CBI’s Delhi headquarters in January this year. When
contacted, a CBI spokesperson said, “WE ARE PROBING THE CASE AND THE INVESTIGATION IS UNDERWAY”. A representative and a spokesperson of the film’s producer, Rohit Shetty, did not respond to
emails or phone calls regarding the matter. _Singham Returns_ obtained the censor certificate (CC) on August 8, 2014, a few days before its UAE premier on August 14, 2014. According to
sources, a screening of _Singham Returns_ was held on August 7, 2014, when Kumar reportedly ‘forced’ two of his board members to sign blank forms. The three were part of the screening
committee for issuing the CC. Shetty and an authorised agent for the production house, Kishan Palli, were also present at the screening. The CBI has obtained the statements of the two board
members, who have identified their signatures and alleged they were ‘pressurised’ by Kumar to sign the blank forms. “THESE FORMS ARE REQUIRED TO BE FILLED BY THE MEMBERS, SUGGESTING THEIR
OPINIONS ON VARIOUS ASPECTS ON THE POINT OF CENSORSHIP, AND SUBMITTED IN A SEALED ENVELOPE. INSTEAD, KUMAR COAXED THE TWO MEMBERS TO SIGN BLANK FORMS,” said a CBI officer. In his statement
to the CBI, Palli said Shetty paid over Rs 2 lakh to get the CC. The CBI has claimed that of the 15-20 authorised agents associated with the CBFC, Kumar favoured four-five agents and would
only clear films routed through them. Palli was reportedly one of them. Read the full Indian Express story here.