Chandigarh University video 'leak': Out on bail, Rankaj Verma claims innocence

Mohali, October 7

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Theog resident Rankaj Verma, one of the four accused in the Chandigarh University video “leak” case, today claimed innocence and demanded compensation from the government for the “financial and mental agony caused without any involvement” in the case.

Addressing mediapersons after emerging from the Ropar jail on bail, Rankaj said: “I am innocent, I have no role in the case. My display picture was misused by another accused. I had informed the police about it on September 18, still was arrested and kept in detention for over 15 days. The three other accused have told the police they don’t know me.”

His counsel Harvinder Singh Johal said: “On the first day, senior police officials held a press conference at the university and said a video had been recovered, but in court they kept saying forensic report was being analysed. Till today, they haven’t come forward with the video, yet Rankaj had been kept in custody.”

Claiming Rankaj’s travel business had suffered losses, he said: “His family and sister had to face the barbs of society. We will seek appropriate compensation from the government. We will approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court for appropriate action at the right time.”

“We will also seek legal action against accused Sanjeev Singh for misusing Rankaj’s photo. It has come to light he (Sanjeev) has been harassing other women through the phone number in which Rankaj’s photo was used,” he claimed.

While the three other accused — Sunny Mehta, the CU girl student and Army man Sanjeev — have been sent to judicial custody, the police continue to reiterate the investigation is in final stage and will be concluded soon.

An SIT member said: “It will not be appropriate to say anything in the case. The police are corroborating forensic data of the phones of accused.”

More than 18 days after the video leak case rocked the CU, Gharuan campus, the police have been claiming only one video, that of the accused girl and not pornographic, had been found.

A case under Section 354-C (voyeurism) of the IPC and the IT Act had been registered at the Sadar Kharar police station on September 18. The CU authorities have dismissed the allegations as “false and baseless”.