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India’s chief film censor arrested for allegedly taking bribes for film certificates

NEW DELHI – Police say they have arrested the head of India’s film censorship board for allegedly taking bribes in exchange for speeding up the approval of a film.

Police said a court in Mumbai charged the head of the Central Board of Film Certification, Rakesh Kumar, on Tuesday.

Investigators arrested two other men last week after setting up a sting operation in which the suspects allegedly sought 70,000 rupees, or about $1,150, on Kumar’s behalf.

Indian cinema is strictly censored, with graphic violence, sex and swearing mostly banned.

Getting a film certified can be a slow process, and bribes are believed to be relatively common in the $3 billion Bollywood film industry to speed things along.

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