Raipur, April 6 (IANS) In a landmark verdict that has sent ripples across Chhattisgarh’s political landscape, the High Court has sentenced former MLA Amit Jogi, son of the state’s first Chief Minister, late Ajit Jogi, to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 in the sensational 2003 murder case of senior NCP leader Ram Avatar Jaggi.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Arvind Kumar Verma pronounced the sentence after hearing the CBI’s appeal, a revision petition by the victim’s son Satish Jaggi, and a plea for enhancement of sentence.

The High Court overturned the trial court’s acquittal of Amit Jogi dated May 31, 2007, and held him guilty of criminal conspiracy to murder under Section 120-B of the IPC, along with Sections 302/34 (murder) and 427/34 (mischief) of the Indian Penal Code.

Ram Avatar Jaggi, a prominent businessman and NCP leader, was shot dead on June 4, 2003, in Raipur at a time when Ajit Jogi was the Chief Minister of the newly formed state. Initially, the police treated the case as a robbery and arrested five people. However, after the BJP government came to power, the investigation was transferred to the CBI on January 22, 2004.

The CBI alleged a larger conspiracy involving Amit Jogi and others, including Yahya Dhebar, Abhay Goyal, and Firoz Siddiqui. A total of 31 people were named as accused in the case.

In the 2007 trial court verdict, 28 accused were convicted and sentenced, while Amit Jogi was acquitted.

The victim’s son, Satish Jaggi, challenged the acquittal in the Supreme Court, which later remanded the matter to the Chhattisgarh High Court for fresh consideration.

After years of legal proceedings, the High Court has now found Amit Jogi guilty, observing that the evidence used to convict the other 28 accused could not be ignored in his case.

The court has directed Amit Jogi to surrender before the authorities within three weeks. This verdict comes as a major development in one of Chhattisgarh’s most high-profile and politically sensitive criminal cases, which has lingered in the courts for nearly 23 years.

It is likely to have significant political repercussions in the state ahead of future elections.

The family of Ram Avatar Jaggi has welcomed the judgment, describing it as long-awaited justice.

Further legal options, including a possible appeal in the Supreme Court, remain open for the convict.

The case once again highlights the complex intersection of politics and crime in the state’s early years after its formation.

–IANS

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