In a significant legal blow to former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel, a Special CBI Court in Raipur has reversed a previous order that had discharged him from the controversial 2017 “fake CD” case. The decision, delivered on Saturday, January 24, 2026, means Baghel will now have to face a full criminal trial.
Reversal of the 2024 Discharge The Special CBI Court set aside a magisterial court’s order from March 2024, which had cleared Baghel of all charges due to a reported lack of evidence. The higher court’s reversal reinstates the charges against the former CM, who was the Chhattisgarh Congress President when the scandal first erupted.
In the same proceedings, the court rejected appeals from other co-accused—including senior journalist Vinod Verma, Kailash Murarka, and Vijay Bhatia—who had challenged the framing of charges against them by the trial court.
The 2017 Scandal: A Timeline of Events
The case revolves around an allegedly doctored video purportedly depicting Rajesh Munat, who was then the PWD Minister in the Raman Singh-led BJP government.
- October 2017: The controversy began when the Raipur Police arrested journalist Vinod Verma from his Ghaziabad residence. Police claimed to have recovered 500 copies of the “sex CD.”
- The Allegations: Rajesh Munat filed a complaint alleging that Baghel and Verma were circulating the “fake” video on social media to tarnish his image and gain political mileage.
- The CBI Takeover: Given the political sensitivity, the case was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which filed a chargesheet naming Baghel as a key conspirator.
- September 2018: Baghel famously refused to apply for bail after the chargesheet was filed, opting to go to jail in protest of what he called “political vendetta.” He was later granted bail.
- March 2024: A special magistrate court discharged Baghel, a move he celebrated with the slogan “Satyamev Jayate.”
Current Legal Standing
With this latest reversal, Baghel is set to stand trial under several sections of the law:
- Section 120B (IPC): Criminal Conspiracy
- Section 469 (IPC): Forgery for the purpose of harming reputation
- Section 471 (IPC): Using a forged document as genuine
- Section 67A (IT Act): Publishing or transmitting material containing sexually explicit acts
What’s Next? The former Chief Minister’s legal team is expected to challenge this reversal in the High Court. Unless Baghel secures a stay or a fresh discharge from a higher judiciary, the trial proceedings in the Raipur CBI court will commence shortly.