Madhya Pradesh - A Sex-And-Blackmail Racket Rocks The State

A sex-and-blackmail racket rocks the state, but there are already signs that a cover-up may be on

- Rahul Noronha

Within weeks of a sex-and-blackmail scandal coming to light in Bhopal and Indore, the state’s political and administrative elite were roiled by rumour, speculation and suspicion. The special investigation team (SIT) formed to investigate the case has already seen two heads rolling, the latest on October 1 when additional director-general (ADG) Sanjeev Shami—the officer who had blown the lid off the case and had been heading the SIT—was shunted out. The latest transfers also included Special DG, cyber crime and STF, Purushottam Sharma, and ADG, Intelligence, Kailash Makwana. The reconstituted SIT has Special DG, cyber crime, Rajendra Kumar, as its head now. The tumult in the police department and the coyness of the authorities on the big names involved has triggered speculation about a cover-up being under way.

Since the scandal broke on September 18, bureaucrats have been on the edge in the state. The case has taken a political turn, with the ruling Congress accusing the BJP of using the issue to destabilise the government. The BJP, in turn, has demanded a CBI inquiry.

Six people, including five women, were arrested on the 18th in Bhopal and Indore. The police said the women honey-trapped officials and extracted huge sums of money or significant public contracts after threatening to make incriminating recordings public.