Mumbai: A special CBI court has rejected the discharge plea of former Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) chief executive officer (CEO) Rakesh Kumar Singh, booked in 2014 for demanding bribe to issue a censor certificate.

Pravin Mohare, a former agent of the CBFC, had filed a complaint with CBI claiming that Singh demanded bribe to grant censor certificate to a film. During investigation, it has been revealed Shripati Mishra, an authorised agent for censor certification, demanded Rs70,000 on the behalf of Singh for early trial of film “Mor Dauki Ke Bihav”. The complainant was verified by recording the conversation.

Mishra and Sarvesh Jaiswal, the advisory panel member CBFC, were acting as a conduit of Singh, the prosecution had claimed. Based on the recorded conversation, CBI laid a trap on August 14, 2014, wherein Jaiwal was caught red handed while accepting Rs40,000 from Mishra.

While seeking discharge, Singh claimed that there was no demand, acceptance of bribe or recovery from him. The prosecution, however, claimed that Singh had demanded bribe through Mishra.

The CBI Special judge SM Menjoge, after hearing both the sides, observed, “He was collecting the amount through his agents. Demand and acceptance of the amount can be proved by circumstantial evidence also as many times direct evidence is not available.”