CBI Arrests DGCA Official Over Alleged Bribe

The CBI arrested a DGCA deputy director and an aviation firm director over an alleged ₹2.5 lakh bribe.

The Central Bureau of Investigation has arrested a Deputy Director of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the director of a private aviation company in an alleged ₹2.5 lakh bribery case involving aircraft airworthiness certification. The accused DGCA official, Sushil Kumar Garg, was posted in Chennai, while the private-sector accused was identified as Sachin Keshav Bhane of Ekvi Air Training Organisation. The CBI alleges that the money was sought and accepted in exchange for regulatory favour relating to aircraft certification.

Airworthiness certification is a core aviation-safety function because it determines whether aircraft meet the required technical and operational standards. Regulatory officials therefore occupy positions where corruption can have consequences extending far beyond financial misconduct. In this case, the CBI alleges that Garg demanded illegal gratification connected to certification of aircraft operated by the private organisation and later accepted ₹2.5 lakh. Both individuals were arrested following an agency operation, and further investigation is underway.

The case is also notable because it follows another DGCA-related bribery investigation earlier in 2026 involving a senior official and a private-sector executive over alleged payments connected to drone-import approvals. That broader pattern makes the latest case particularly sensitive for the aviation regulator. However, allegations made in an investigation are not equivalent to a conviction, and the accused will have the opportunity to contest the charges through the judicial process. The investigation will now focus on whether the alleged transaction was an isolated case or part of a wider network involving regulatory clearances. For India’s rapidly expanding aviation industry, maintaining confidence in certification procedures is essential because regulatory integrity directly affects passenger safety and the credibility of the sector.