Minister’s ‘sex’ CD row: CBI questions scribe in Raipur jail Raipur

Senior journalist Vinod Verma was questioned by the CBI at the Raipur Central Jail on Wednesday in connection with the circulation and possession of a "sex CD", allegedly involving a Chhattisgarh minister.

A four-member team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) quizzed Verma for about an-hour-and-a-half after securing permission from a local court, a senior police official told PTI.

The CBI last week took over the investigation of two cases related to the circulation of the CD, allegedly involving state Public Works Department Minister Rajesh Munat.

Some more people might also be interrogated by the central probe agency in connection with the case soon, the official said.

A case of blackmailing and extortion was registered at the Pandri police station in Raipur in October on a complaint lodged by BJP leader Prakash Bajaj, who had alleged that he "was being harassed over phone by an unidentified caller", who told him that he had a CD of his "aka" (master).

Following an investigation, a police team was sent to Delhi and Verma was arrested from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh on October 27.

The police had claimed to have recovered 500 CDs and some pen drives etc. from Verma's residence.

After the journalist's arrest, the purported "sex CD" surfaced in Raipur, triggering a political storm with the ruling BJP and opposition Congress targeting each other on the issue.

Subsequently, Munat had lodged a complaint against Chhattisgarh Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel and Verma at the Civil Lines police station in Raipur for "tarnishing" his image with the "fake CD".

The Chhattisgarh government had then recommended a CBI probe into the row.