CBI charge sheet against makers of biopic on Tilak

A charge sheet was filed following a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged financial irregularities in the making of a governmentsanctioned film on Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

The culture ministry had sanctioned the production while commemorating 50 years of the Indian republic in 2000-2001 at a cost of ₹2.5 crore, culture minister Mahesh Sharma said in the Lok Sabha on Monday.

He said the funds were released in two instalments of ₹1.25 crore each in FY 2000-01.

The file relating to the sanction of the production was not traceable and the matter had been reported to the police, he said in reply to a question by BJP MP and Dalit leader Udit Raj.

The ministry had received an RTI application enquiring about the status of the film in December 2012. In September 2013, the producer, Vinay Dhumale, was asked to submit a status report.

Dhumale then submitted two ‘scratch copies’ of the film in December 2013, along with photocopies of utilisation certificates (UCs) for the funds.

Sharma said that on watching the film, and based on inputs from the ministry of information and broadcasting, financial irregularities in the production of the film were noticed.

“...the matter was referred to the CBI in July 2015 for investigation. As per a report received from the CBI, a charge sheet has been filed in the Patiala House Court and the court has taken cognisance of the case,” the minister added.

NEW DELHI: