The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following a complaint by Information and Broadcasting Ministry has started a preliminary inquiry into the allegations of financial embezzlement and violation of norms at the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).
In the complaint, it has been alleged that the corporation made excess and undue payments to filmmaker Anurag Kashyap and other film directors.
The agency’s anti-corruption branch in a letter dated October 23, 2018, addressed to the director (finance) of NFDC had stated that a preliminary inquiry had been launched against unknown officials of the corporation, Sun TV, UFO Movies, Anurag Kashyap Films and other unknown people.
The CBI had asked NFDC to furnish certain documents to help the probe, an official of the probe agency said on November 22, 2018.
The NFDC has been embroiled in a controversy after its managing director, Nina Lath Gupta, was sacked for allegedly favouring Sun TV networks in February 2018, when Smriti Irani was the Information and Broadcasting Minister. Ms. Gupta re-joined the NFDC following a Delhi High Court order but the Ministry removed her again in May 2018.
The I&B Ministry, however, dropped the charges against her, when Ms. Irani was replaced as Minister by Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.
