Congress for SC-monitored probe into sex CD scandal

Raipur: The Congress on Saturday demanded a probe by an independent agency, under the supervision of the Supreme Court, into the "fake" sex CD row allegedly involving a Chhattisgarh minister. The main Opposition party in the state also accused the ruling BJP of curbing press freedom.

"The way the BJP has reacted to the (sex CD) matter, it is clear that a state government agency cannot probe this issue. It should be investigated by an independent agency under the supervision of the Supreme Court," Chhattisgarh Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel said at a press conference.

He also pointed out that while the BJP talked about political morality, the entire party came out in defence of the minister, Rajesh Munat, after the CD allegedly involving him surfaced. Without conducting a probe into the matter, the ruling party gave its minister a clean chit, Baghel said.

Accusing the BJP of suppressing the voice of the media, the Congress leader alleged that journalists were being threatened and implicated in false cases. "The arrest of senior journalist Vinod Verma is a case in point," he said.

Verma, who was arrested from Ghaziabad for suspected blackmailing and extortion by the Chhattisgarh police, had claimed that he had a "sex CD" of the minister. Baghel alleged that the Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh governments had conspired to get the journalist arrested.

Verma was not even named in a blackmailing complaint lodged in Raipur and was arrested even without conducting a preliminary investigation, he said, adding that it clearly reflected that there was a conspiracy against him. The police claimed to have recovered 500 "porn" CDs, a pen drive and a laptop from Verma.

Raipur: Chhattisgarh PWD Minister Rajesh Munat has filed a complaint against state Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel and senior journalist Vinod Verma for allegedly tarnishing his image through a "fake" sex CD. A case was registered on Friday evening at the Civil Lines police station here against Baghel, Verma and others under section 67 (A) of the Information Technology Act following the minister's complaint, said Civil Lines SHO Hem Prakash Nayak.

"A copy of the CD has been submitted to the police station and it will be sent for forensic examination," he said. Munat, considered close to Chief Minister Raman Singh, was accompanied by state BJP president Dharam Lal Kaushik.