A special court today granted conditional bail to journalist Vinod Verma in connection with the circulation and possession of a 'sex CD', allegedly involving a Chhattisgarh minister, as investigators failed to file a charge sheet within the mandatory period of 60 days after his arrest.

Special CBI Magistrate Shantanu Kumar Deshlahre granted relief to the scribe after he submitted a bond of Rs 1 lakh and a guarantee of equal amount as directed by the court.

Verma was arrested by the Chhattisgarh Police from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh on October 27.

"The court accepted Verma's plea for bail which he submitted in the court yesterday under the section 167 (II) of the CrPC," said Verma's lawyer Faisal Rizvi.

Rizvi said Verma may walk out of the Raipur Central Jail late tonight.

Verma was arrested by Raipur Police during investigation after a case of blackmailing and extortion was registered at the Pandri police station in Raipur in October on a complaint lodged by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Prakash Bajaj.

Bajaj had alleged that he 'was being harassed over phone by an unidentified caller', who told him that he had a CD of his 'aka' (master).

The police had claimed to have recovered 500 CDs and some pen drives from Verma's residence.

After his arrest, the 'sex CD', allegedly involving state Public Works Department Minister Rajesh Munat, surfaced in Raipur, triggering a political storm with the ruling BJP and opposition Congress targeting each other on the issue.

Subsequently, Munat lodged a complaint against Chhattisgarh Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel and Verma at the Civil Lines police station in Raipur for 'tarnishing' his image with the 'fake CD'.

On recommendation of the state government, the CBI took over the investigation of two cases related to the circulation of the CD and questioned Verma in the Raipur Central Jail on December 20.  -- PTI

Photograph: ANI