A special CBI court in Raipur has discharged senior Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in a 2017 alleged sex CD case, citing a lack of evidence. Baghel’s lawyer, Manish Datt, confirmed the court’s decision, stating that Special Magistrate (CBI) Bhupesh Kumar Basant reviewed Baghel’s discharge application and ruled in his favor on Tuesday. The court found no substantial evidence to support the allegations made against him in the chargesheet. The official order copy is expected to be available on Wednesday. Following the ruling, an elated Baghel took to social media platform X, posting "Satyamev Jayate" (Truth alone triumphs). State Congress communication wing head, Sushil Anand Shukla, welcomed the verdict, stating, "Truth can be harassed but never defeated."

The case dates back to October 2017, when a controversy erupted over a "sleaze video" allegedly involving then-PWD Minister Rajesh Munat. The matter gained traction after the arrest of journalist Vinod Verma, a close aide of Baghel. The scandal began when former BJP leader Prakash Bajaj lodged a police complaint, claiming he was being blackmailed by an unknown caller who said he had a compromising CD of Bajaj’s "master" (referring to Munat). Following investigations, Verma was arrested from Ghaziabad on October 27, 2017, and the police allegedly recovered 500 CDs, pen drives, and other materials from him. Verma maintained that he had a sex CD involving a Chhattisgarh minister.

As the controversy grew, Munat filed a complaint against Baghel and Verma, accusing them of attempting to defame him through a "fake CD." The Chhattisgarh government eventually handed over the case to the CBI. By September 2018, the CBI filed a chargesheet, naming Baghel, Verma, and three others as accused. One of the accused, Rinku Khanuja, an automobile dealer from Raipur, died by suicide in June 2018 while the investigation was ongoing.

The charges against Baghel and others were framed under sections of the IPC related to forgery, criminal conspiracy, and harming reputation, along with provisions of the IT Act concerning sexually explicit content. At the time, Baghel, then the state Congress president, refused to apply for bail after his arrest and was sent to Raipur Central Jail. After three days, he relented and was granted bail on September 27, 2018.

Baghel and the Congress party had consistently claimed the case was politically motivated. In the 2018 Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, the Congress secured a massive victory, and Baghel was appointed Chief Minister. Following his win, he named Verma as his political advisor. During the election campaign, the BJP repeatedly targeted Baghel over the CD controversy. Now, with the court’s ruling clearing his name, Baghel and his supporters see the verdict as vindication.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from PTI.