CID gives clean chit to former minister Meti in sex CD case

'Video shown on TV could be doctored, Nirani behind ploy'

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has given a clean chit to former minister and Congress MLA H Y Meti in the sex CD case.

The Bagalkot MLA had to resign as minister after a CD showing him in a compromising position with a woman, who had approached him for a favour, was made public in December, 2016.

The Home department had asked the CID to submit a report after conducting an inquiry into the incident and not investigating into it, late last year.

The CID submitted an eight-page report to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on May 17, saying BJP leader Murugesh Nirani played a vital role in the conspiracy. Along with Nirani, local BJP leaders - Ashok Lagaloti, Siddalinga Abalakatti, Maruti Mirajkar and Subhash, former bodyguard of Meti, were involved in conspiring against Meti, the report said.

CID sleuths, who were probing the video footage to ascertain if it was doctored or not, approached several media organisations, but they did not cooperate, the report said. There was no complaint received from anyone, including Vijayalakshmi, about the alleged sexual favours sought by the minister. Vijayalakshmi had given a statement that she and Meti shared the relationship of a father and daughter, the report says. Whatever they showed repeatedly on TV news channels could be doctored or edited video clips, forensic laboratory experts are reported to have said.

Original not available

Since the CID could not lay their hands on the original video, the analysis could not be done in a proper manner. The government had ordered the CID to probe only whether the footage was original or not and the sleuths had specifically done that. The footage was not original and the sleuths had enough evidence to conclude it was doctored and edited to victimise Meti, the report said.

The complaint that Vijayalakshmi had registered at the Navanagar police station in Bagalkot, saying she had received life threats from Subhash and others is in the final stage of investigation.

The conspiracy

CID sleuths have unearthed the conspiracy against Meti by a few BJP leaders and even hinted they could go to jail soon. Meti’s Bagalkot seat and Nirani’s Bilagi constituency lie adjacent to each other.
The BJP and Congress are pitted against each other in the two seats. In the last election, Nirani had lost to Congress’ G T Patil. The BJP wanted to make sure that they release Meti’s CD to defame and destroy his political career and thereby win the next election, it is said.

Lagaloti, a Congressman, was denied the party ticket to contest for Zilla Panchayat elections, so he switched loyalty to BJP and conspired against Meti.

Lagaloti, Abalakatti, Mirajkar and Subhash joined hands with Nirani to blackmail Meti and extort money from him. Nirani initially blackmailed Meti and took favours from him in government deals. He demanded Rs 2 crore per head, if he did not want the CD to be released to the media. When Meti refused to give the money, the five released the CD, an officer said.

The CID has learnt that the same group had targeted another MLA, by making a CD involving him. It had started blackmailing him and getting favours by way of government deals. CID officials who wanted to probe the case hit a dead-end as the MLA did not cooperate.

Meti responds

Speaking to reporters in Bagalkot, former minister H Y Meti  said he stood vindicated, claiming the forensic examination of the video had proved it was fake. Meti, however, clarified neither he nor Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had tried to influence the CID officials.

The former minister said he was sad that such charges were levelled against him. Meti said he was ready to work as minister again, if Siddaramaiah and the Congress high command so wished. His supporters went into celebration as soon as TV channels reported that the minister had been given a clean chit.