Gujarat: BJP MP Parbatbhai Patel's purported sleaze video goes viral; cops detain 2 for questioning
Palanpur, Aug 11: Police in Gujarat have registered an FIR against two persons and detained them after a video purportedly showing BJP MP Parbatbhai Patel in a compromising position with a woman went viral on social media even as the parliamentarian claimed the clip was doctored, said an official on Wednesday.
The FIR was lodged on Tuesday at the Tharad police station of Banaskantha district on a complaint given by the MP's son, Shailesh Patel, said Deputy Superintendent of Police P H Chaudhary, adding the Local Crime Branch (LCB) is probing the case.
Parbatbhai Patel (72), the Lok Sabha MP from Banaskantha, denied any wrongdoing and claimed the video has been doctored and his face superimposed on the person seen in the clip, while his family alleged a conspiracy to extort money and defame them.
"In his complaint, Shailesh Patel has alleged that his father's edited video was made viral on social media by the two accused - Magha Patel and Mukesh Rajput (both detained) as part of a pre-planned conspiracy.
"We have lodged an FIR under sections 389 (extortion), 500 (defamation), criminal conspiracy (120-B) of the IPC and under relevant sections of the IT Act," he said.
Evidence collected so far suggests there was a conspiracy to malign the MP's image and extort money from him through the video, said the DySP.
In the one-minute video, a man resembling Parbatbhai Patel can be seen hugging a woman on a sofa and getting intimate. It appears they were aware about the presence of some other persons in the room, including the one who was shooting the video.
According to Chaudhary, Magha Patel had earlier threatened on his Facebook page that he will "publish a video of Banaskantha's top politician on August 15".
Then on Tuesday, the same video, purportedly featuring Parbatbhai Patel, was shared in a WhatsApp group by Mukesh Rajput, he said.
"Both (Magha Patel and Rajput) were shown as accused in the FIR. They were detained for questioning by the LCB. Evidence given by the complainant and collected from the social media by police primarily establish that there was a conspiracy to malign the MP's image and extort money from him through this video," said the DySP.
He added that the video will be sent for forensic analysis to find out its authenticity.
Shailesh Patel told reporters that the video has been used for defaming his father and to extort money.
"Magha Patel has been threatening to release the video for some time. This is an edited video created only to defame my father. This is a conspiracy and the accused had earlier demanded money in exchange for not releasing the video," said Shailesh Patel.
Parbatbhai Patel, who had previously served as a minister in the BJP government in Gujarat, claimed the video has been edited by superimposing his face on the person seen in the clip.
"Everyone knows about my character. I never indulged in any wrongdoings in my entire life. It is possible that my photo was used for making such an edited video.
"People have been trying to extort money from me since 2016 for this video. I had challenged them to release it if they want to," said the Lok Sabha MP.
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Rajnath Singh chairs IGoM meet, urges constant vigil over West Asia crisis
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday emphasised the need for round-the-clock monitoring of the West Asia conflict and called for a calibrated response to deal with any eventuality to ensure that national interests remain protected.
Singh made the comments while chairing a high-level meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) set-up to monitor the situation in West Asia.
The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Power Minister Manohar Lal, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister J P Nadda, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.
In view of the "uncertain situation", the defence minister underlined the importance of round-the-clock monitoring of the situation and the need to respond in a calibrated manner to deal with any eventuality, an official readout said.
He stressed on the need to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the people of the country face the minimum effect of the conflict, it said.
It was the second meeting of the IGoM after it was set up last month.
The IGoM was apprised of the measures being taken by the government in the wake of the ongoing West Asia conflict, Singh said on social media.
"We also deliberated upon the next steps to be taken by the government to mitigate any adverse impact arising due to the ongoing conflict," he said.
The defence ministry said in the readout said, "In the meeting, the seven empowered groups of secretaries briefed the IGoM on the steps being taken to tackle the situation."
"The IGoM was apprised about measures undertaken by the Ministry of Finance to address concerns arising due to global trade disruptions and provide relief and support to the industry, especially manufacturing, and bolster investor confidence," it said.
It listed measures including notification issued on Wednesday on full customs duty exemption on 40 critical petrochemical products till June 30.
The ministry also mentioned announcement of a special one-time relief measure for eligible units in SEZs to sell manufactured goods in Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) at concessional customs duty rates to be effective from April 1 to March 31.
It also noted another notification issued by the Department of Revenue clarifying that the provisions of GAAR (General Anti Avoidance Rules) will not be invoked in respect of investments made prior to April 1, 2017.
"These measures will reduce cost pressures on downstream sectors including textiles, packaging and pharmaceuticals, facilitate supply stability in the country and provide requisite clarity for investors contemplating investments in India," the readout said.
Defence Minister Singh appreciated the government's decision to impose a 25 per cent cap on the monthly increase in aviation turbine fuel prices for domestic operations, with effect from April 1.
This step will help protect the people from sudden increase in fares, he said.
The government has accorded highest priority to domestic LPG supply, with refinery production enhanced to fully meet consumption requirements, according to the readout.
"The IGoM was informed that there have been no reports of dry-out at LPG distributorships, and delivery of domestic LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders continues as per the normal schedule. The temporary supply concerns arose due to instances of hoarding and black marketing, which triggered panic buying in certain areas," it said.
The ministers were informed that strict enforcement action is being undertaken, with raids being carried out across multiple states and Union territories to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG, the ministry said in the readout.
Action has also been taken against some LPG distributors who engaged in malpractices, it said.
"To support migrant labour and low-consumption households, the government is ensuring adequate availability of 5 kg free trade LPG cylinders, and since March 23, over 4.3 lakh such cylinders have been sold. Special focus is being given to states where demand is higher," it said.
The IGoM was apprised that industrial requirements dependent on commercial LPG are being met, with over 80 per cent of pre-crisis supply levels being maintained to ensure continuity of operations.
"Special meetings have been held with ministries and stakeholders of different industries to understand their demand and meet their needs. Oil PSUs are ensuring continued supply of Auto LPG across the country," the readout noted.
"However, some supply constraints are being faced by private operators due to their procurement challenges, which is why lines are being observed at PSU auto LPG pumps. Wherever the autos are dual feed and can use petrol, they are being encouraged to use petrol," it said.
