New Delhi, April 23 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the conviction and life sentence of Amit Jogi in the 2003 murder case of NCP leader Ram Avtar Jaggi, granting interim relief on his plea against the Chhattisgarh High Court verdict.

A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and Vijay Bishnoi passed the order while hearing Jogi’s special leave petition (SLP) challenging the decision of the Chhattisgarh High Court, which had reversed his acquittal and directed him to surrender.

Pending further proceedings in the matter, the apex court ordered that the sentence imposed on Jogi shall remain stayed, effectively protecting him from undergoing the life imprisonment awarded by the Chhattisgarh High Court.

The case relates to the killing of Ram Avtar Jaggi, a businessman and senior NCP leader, who was shot dead in Raipur on June 4, 2003, when Ajit Jogi was serving as the Chief Minister of the newly formed state.

In its recent ruling, the Chhattisgarh High Court had convicted Amit Jogi, son of Ajit Jogi, for criminal conspiracy and murder, overturning a 2007 trial court judgment that had acquitted him due to lack of evidence.

The Chhattisgarh High Court had directed him to surrender within three weeks. The trial court, while convicting 28 other accused and sentencing them to life imprisonment, had given Jogi the benefit of the doubt. However, the Chhattisgarh High Court, acting on appeals filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the victim’s family, held that the evidence used to convict the co-accused could not be ignored in his case.

According to the prosecution, the murder was the result of a larger conspiracy, with multiple accused named in the case. The investigation was handed over to the CBI in 2004 after a change in government in the state.

Following the Chhattisgarh High Court’s verdict, Amit Jogi moved the Supreme Court, challenging his conviction in the 23-year-old case. The matter has seen prolonged litigation, including earlier proceedings before the apex court and remand to the Chhattisgarh High Court for fresh consideration.

After years of litigation, the Supreme Court in November 2025 condoned a significant delay by the CBI and directed the Chhattisgarh High Court to re-examine the appeal against Amit Jogi’s acquittal on merits.

–IANS

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