Sex CD row: Journalist Vinod Verma denied bail

RAIPUR: A Raipur court has rejected the bail application of senior Journalist Vinod Verma, who is now in judicial custody after his arrest in connection with a case of alleged blackmailing and extortion registered by Raipur police following a sex video clip scandal, purportedly involving a minister in Chhattisgarh.
Earlier during the day, defence lawyer Faisal Rizvi and Sudeep Shrivastava appeared before the court and argued on his bail application and sought bail on various grounds, pointing out that Vinod Verma is a senior journalist.The prosecution, however, opposed the bail plea.
Later, the lower court rejected his bail application. Verma is in judicial custody till November 13. Defence lawyers said they would consider moving the session’s court for his bail on Tuesday.
Verma was arrested by Chhattisgarh Police from his home in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, in the early hours of October 27. Immediately after his arrest, Verma claimed that he was arrested as the Chhattisgarh government is not happy with him as he has a “sex CD”, allegedly featuring state PWD Minister Rajesh Munat.
The senior journalist was arrested a day after a person lodged a complaint with Pandri police alleging that he had received a call demanding money for not making public the sex CD of his “Aaka”. Within 12 hours, the Raipur police arrested Vinod Verma from his home at Ghaziabad, claiming that they had seized 500 CDs from his home. However, Verma denied these claims.
Verma’s arrest had sparked a political row after the controversial sex video clip went viral on the social media and the opposition Congress demanded the resignation of PWD minister Rajesh Munat. Both the ruling BJP and PWD Minister Rajesh Munat dismissed the CD as fake and the state government swiftly recommended handing over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation.