CBI takes over fake "sex" CD case probe, 2 FIRs registered

The probe into the alleged distribution of a "fake" sex CD involving Chhattisgarh minister Rajesh Moonat has been taken over by the CBI at the request of the BJP government in the state and two FIRs have been registered, officials said here today.
The first case registered by the agency is against state Congress president Bhupesh Baghel and senior journalist Vinod Verma based on allegations levelled by Moonat following which the Chhattisgarh Police had filed an FIR, they said.
The second case deals with a state police FIR against unidentified persons lodged on a complaint by BJP leader Prakash Bajaj alleging that a ransom call was made to him saying if demand was not met the "obscene CD" of his masters would be distributed, according to them.

The sources said the agency has re-registered has both the state police FIRs as its cases.
Chhattisgarh Public Works Department (PWD) Minister Moonat had lodged complaints against scribe Verma, who was arrested from Ghaziabad in October, and Baghel for allegedly tarnishing his image through the CD.
Verma and Baghel have denied the allegations.

The Chhattisgarh government had recommended a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the matter on October 28.
State Revenue Minister Prakash Pandey had said that the matter seemed to be a "political and criminal conspiracy" and, therefore, it was felt that the CBI should probe it.

The alleged video sparked a political row in the state with the Congress and the BJP trading charges over it.
The matter came to light when Verma was arrested by the Chhattisgarh Police from his Ghaziabad residence for suspected blackmail and extortion related to the CD.
As Verma was being escorted by the police, he had claimed that the state government was not happy with him as it suspected that he had a "sex CD of Chhattisgarh PWD Minister Rajesh Moonat" and suggested he was being framed.
Moonat had called it "fake" and an attempt at character assasination.