A senior journalist was arrested around 4 am today from his home near Delhi by the Chhattisgarh police on charges of extortion. Vinod Verma, a member of the Editors Guild of India, alleges that he is being targeted because he has a sex CD featuring a minister.

Mr Verma was arrested at his Ghaziabad home by a police team that caught the last flight out of Raipur to investigate the sex CD and allegations of blackmail.

The police claim they have seized hundreds of CDs, a laptop and a pen drive from Mr Verma's home. They say he "intended" to distribute objectionable CDs, refusing to disclose the contents to the media.

"I have a sex CD of a Chhattisgarh Minister, he is Rajesh Munat and that is why the Chhattisgarh government is not happy with me," Mr Verma told reporters while being taken to court after hours of questioning. The minister has called the CD "fake" and said it can be investigated by any agency.