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Weeks before the Assembly polls in September 2018, Baghel was arrested.
A special CBI court Saturday reversed an order passed last March that had discharged former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel in a 2017 fake sleaze CD case involving a former minister in the state. The senior Congress leader will now have to face trial unless he gets relief from a higher court.
The case dates back to 2017, when the CBI registered two FIRs in connection with an alleged “sex CD” involving former Chhattisgarh minister Rajesh Munat.
The first case was based on a complaint by Prakash Bajaj, who alleged that an unknown person was repeatedly calling him and claiming to possess a “sex CD” of his “masters” in the then BJP-ruled government, and threatening to make it public unless he was paid.
Another case was based on a complaint by Munat, who alleged former journalist Vinod Verma and then state Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel were circulating fake videos of alleged sexual acts involving him and other BJP ministers and politicians. These, he claimed, were circulated on social media and distributed through CDs.
Weeks before the Assembly polls in September 2018, Baghel was arrested.
Though the charges against him were bailable, he told the court that he was innocent and, since this was a political attack, he would not apply for bail. Baghel was sent to judicial custody and granted bail a few days later.
However, the CBI appealed against the discharge, and Saturday the special CBI court reversed the order.
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In the same proceedings, the court also rejected appeals by other accused Kailash Murarka, Vinod Verma and Vijay Bhatia against the trial court’s order framing charges.
Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. With an extensive career in frontline journalism, he reports on the political, security, and humanitarian landscape of Central India. Expertise and Experience Specialized Conflict Reporting: Jayprakash is a leading voice on the Maoist/Naxalite conflict in the Bastar region. His reporting provides a critical, ground-level view of: Internal Security: Tracking high-stakes encounters, surrender programs for senior Maoist leaders, and the establishment of security camps in formerly inaccessible "heartland" villages. Tribal Rights & Displacement: Investigative reporting on the identity and land struggles of thousands of displaced tribals fleeing conflict zones for neighboring states. Governance & Bureaucratic Analysis: He consistently monitors the evolution of Chhattisgarh as it marks 25 years of statehood, covering: Electoral Politics: Analyzing the shift in power between the BJP and Congress and the impact of regional tribal movements. Public Policy: Reporting on landmark infrastructure projects (e.g., mobile connectivity in remote zones) and judicial interventions, such as High Court rulings on civil and family law. Diverse Investigative Background: Prior to his current focus on Chhattisgarh, Jayprakash held reported from Maharashtra, where he specialized in: Crisis & Disaster Management: Notable for his extensive coverage of the Cyclone Tauktae barge tragedy (P-305) and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on frontline personnel. Legal & Human Rights: Investigative pieces for platforms like Article-14, focusing on police accountability and custodial deaths across India. Environmental & Social Justice: Authoritative reporting on the Hasdeo Aranya forest protests and the approval of major tiger reserves, highlighting the tension between industrial mining and environmental preservation. ... Read More
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