Ex-BBC journalist Vinod Verma arrested on charges of extortion

Vinod Verma, a member of Editors Guild of India, was picked up for questioning from his Ghaziabad home. Sources says that Verma was allegedly in possession of a sex tape of a Chhattisgarh minister, and allegations against him were that he was making extortion calls.

Senior journalist Vinod Verma was arrested by the Chhattisgarh Police early Friday morning from his Ghaziabad residence in Uttar Pradesh over allegations of extortion. Verma was taken to the Indirapuram Police Station at 3.30 am, where he was reportedly questioned for hours.

Mr Verma was arrested at his Ghaziabad home by a police team that caught the last flight out of Raipur to investigate the sex CD and allegations of blackmail.

The government of Chhattisgarh is not happy with me. I just have a pen drive, and have nothing to do with a CD. Clearly, I am being framed,” ANI quoted Verma as saying.

“I have a sex CD of a Chhattisgarh Minister, he is Rajesh Munat and that is why the Chhattisgarh government is not happy with me,” Mr Verma told reporters while being taken to court after hours of questioning. The minister has called the CD “fake” and said it can be investigated by any agency.

police captured down on Verma’s house and seized 500 CDS, pen drives, laptops and detained him. Later, Verma will be produced before a court in New Delhi to seek transit remand to bring him to the state capital, a police spokesman said in Raipur.

Baghel condemned the arrest and has called for the journalists immediate release as well as a probe into the alleged sex tape.

1arrest has been made. If that is the basis of (police) action, then it is highly condemnable. (It is) an attack on the fourth estate of democracy. The speed at which action has been taken by the government proves that the person in the video is indeed a minister. To save their minister, they are attacking a journalist.”

AAP spokesperson Ashutosh tweeted: “Vinod Verma Ex BBC n Amar Ujala Digital Editor has been picked up most mysteriously by UP N Chhatttisgarh Police 3.30am. Attack on press?”

Immediately, after the pre-dawn arrest of the senior journalist, the sex clip went viral on social media, including in WhatsApp groups.

State BJP spokesman Srichand Sundarani described the scandal as a Congress conspiracy to defame the BJP government saying that PCC chief Bhupesh Baghel should make his stand clear about his relations with the arrested Journalist Vinod Verma.