Former BBC journalist Vinod Verma was arrested by the Chhattisgarh police from his Ghaziabad residence early Friday morning on the charge of him blackmailing a Chhattisgarh Minister with a sex CD. A case had been registered against him under various sections at the Pandari police station in Raipur
Mr. Verma was taken to the Indirapuram police station in Ghaziabad for completing the formalities.
Mr. Verma, who is a member of Editors Guild of India, is currently a freelancer.
A senior police officer, requesting anonymity, said, "Verma was arrested for possession of a sex CD involving a minister in the BJP government in Chhattisgarh and was allegedly making extortion attempts."
Raid on Delhi shop
Sources in the Ghaziabad police said that a team of Chhattisgarh Police raided a shop in Delhi and confiscated as many as 1000 prints of the alleged sex video. Based on an interrogation of the shopkeeper, the police raided Mr. Verma’s house.
"We have come to know that the Chhattisgarh police confiscated a large number of CDs from Verma’s residence as well. They also took his laptop and a pen drive," the officer further said.
The arrest has sparked a furore, with political parties, including the Congress and the AAP, and a section of the media calling it a gag on journalism.