CBI takes over Chattisgarh minister's 'sex CD' case

The CBI has taken over the case related to the circulation of a "sex CD" involving a Chhattisgarh minister after registering two separate FIRs.

The CBI action was based on two FIRs registered by the Chhattisgarh Police following complaints by Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Rajesh Munat and state BJP leader Prakash Bajaj.

Munat has complained that journalist Vinod Verma, who was arrested from Ghaziabad in October, and state Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel were tarnishing his image by circulating fake pornographic video on various social media platforms.

The Chhattisgarh government had earlier approached the Centre seeking transfer of the case to CBI.

After getting clearance from the Centre, the CBI has now re-registered the FIRs of the Chhattisgarh Police.

According to the FIR, a case under 67(A) of Information Technology Act was registered.

It claimed that two persons had "circulated complainant's fake pornographic video on various social media platforms and distributed its CD to malign his character and to obtain political mileage". Verma and Baghel had denied the allegations.

On Bajaj's complaint, a case of blackmail and extortion has been registered. Bajaj had claimed that he "was being harassed by an unidentified caller who told him that he had a CD of his 'aka' (master)".

The Chhattisgarh Police had earlier sent a search team to Delhi and Verma was held from Ghaziabad. They had then claimed to have recovered 500 CDs and pen drives.