Bhupesh Baghel’s 2017 Fake Sex CD Case Acquittal Overturned: CBI Sources

CBI Court Sets Aside Bhupesh Baghel’s 2017 Acquittal in Fake Sex CD Case.

A special CBI court in Raipur on Saturday overturned the acquittal of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in the 2017 fake sex CD case involving BJP leader Rajesh Munat. The court’s order means Baghel will now face trial unless a higher court intervenes.

The case relates to a purportedly obscene video allegedly depicting Munat, who was then the state’s Public Works Department minister. Alongside Baghel, the court also rejected appeals from other accused—Kailash Murarka, Vinod Verma, and Vijay Bhatia—who had challenged the trial court’s framing of charges.

The controversy began in 2017 when Munat accused Baghel of circulating sexually explicit videos to damage his reputation. Two FIRs were filed: one by BJP leader Prakash Bajaj at Pandri police station, alleging extortion threats over a pornographic video, and another at Civil Lines police station, naming Baghel and journalist Vinod Verma for allegedly sharing a fake video on social media for political gain.

The cases were later transferred to the CBI, which filed chargesheets and supplementary chargesheets. Baghel and Verma have consistently denied the allegations.

The matter drew attention when Verma was arrested by the Chhattisgarh Police in October 2017. Verma claimed he was being framed over the alleged sex CD, while Munat dismissed the video as “fake” and an attempt at character assassination.