Facing attack from the Congress which has accused the Bhopal jail authorities clicking 'objectionable photographs' of actress Monica Bedi during her imprisonment, the Madhya Pradesh government has ordered a fresh probe into the alleged incident.
Refuting allegations, Jail Minister A S Arya described the Opposition party's attack as "misleading and a move to derive political mileage, and malign the image and honour of a woman in the process".
"An earlier probe, initiated after complaints in this regard by Monica's counsel, confirmed that the allegations were untrue," he said. However, a fresh probe has been ordered after the Congress made the allegations, the minister said.
Addressing a press conference a week ago, state Congress general secretary Manak Agrawal alleged Bedi's objectionable photographs were clicked through secret cameras installed in bathrooms in the jail.
"The photographs were used to create indecent mobile pictures of Bedi," he alleged, making public some MMS before mediapersons which he claimed to have acquired from a jail official.
The cameras were removed after her counsel P C Vedi had raised the issue, Agrawal claimed.
Terming the allegations baseless, central jail superintendent Purshottam Somkunwar said cameras were never installed in any of the women's cell in the jail premises.
He added that the purported MMS may be generated through "trick photography" and demanded a high-level probe into allegations to make things clear.
Arya concurred with Somkunwar and said the material being flashed would be summoned and scrutinised during the fresh probe.
In case, the allegations were found untrue, he warned, legal action would be taken against those who leveled charges," he warned.
The Congress, however, was not satisfied with the probe announcement.
"Since the needle of suspicion also points at Arya, it will be improper for any department under him to conduct the probe," Agrawal said, adding the investigation should be conducted by a sitting judge, following which he will readily part away with the proof he has been holding.
