RAIPUR: In a significant legal development, the Chhattisgarh High Court has delivered a blow to Amit Jogi, son of the state's first Chief Minister, Ajit Jogi, in the 2003 Ram Avatar Jaggi murder case.
Following a hearing today, a Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha has directed Amit Jogi, formerly the main accused in the case, to surrender before the court within three weeks.
After the court’s order, Amit Jogi expressed regret, saying that the high court accepted the CBI's appeal against him in just 40 minutes—without granting a fair opportunity for a hearing.
“Someone previously acquitted has been declared guilty without being heard. This is unprecedented. I have full faith that I will receive justice from the Supreme Court. Truth shall prevail”, Jogi said.
The case dates back to June 4, 2003, when Ram Avatar Jaggi, a prominent leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), was shot dead. The incident then sent shockwaves throughout the newly formed Chhattisgarh state.
Jaggi, a businessman by background, was known to be a staunch loyalist of veteran leader and former Union Minister Vidya Charan Shukla. When Shukla left the Congress party to join the NCP, Jaggi followed him and was subsequently appointed as the NCP’s State Treasurer in Chhattisgarh.
Following an investigation, 31 individuals were named as accused in the murder. Among them, 28 accused were sentenced to life imprisonment by a lower court in 2007. Two individuals, Baltu Pathak and Surendra Singh, turned state witnesses (approvers).
Amit Jogi was acquitted by a special court in Raipur on May 31, 2007, citing a lack of evidence.
Dissatisfied with the acquittal, Ram Avatar Jaggi’s son, Satish Jaggi, challenged the decision in the Supreme Court. While Amit Jogi initially received a stay on the proceedings, the Supreme Court eventually referred the matter back to the High Court for a final determination.
Amit Jogi now faces mandatory custody as the legal process enters its next phase.