Court issues warrant against Amit Jogi in murder case

A two-member division bench of the High Court in Bilaspur issued the bailable warrant Thursday against 33-year-old Amit, currently practising as a lawyer in the same court, in response to a review petition filed by Satish, son of murdered NCP politician Ramavatar Jaggi.

An elated Satish Friday said: "I will do my best to ensure that Amit does not walk away this time without being punished by the court. The lower court acquittal was very disappointing. I will strive for justice."

Jaggi, then NCP Chhattisgarh state unit treasurer, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in the heart of state capital Raipur on June 4, 2003 when Ajit Jogi was the chief minister.
The victim's family and NCP leaders named Jogi and his son as prime suspects in an FIR lodged hours after the killing.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which ousted the Congress in December 2003 assembly polls, handed over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The investigating agency arrested Amit twice and booked 29 persons in the case, making Amit the prime accused.

But a district and sessions court here acquitted Amit of murder charges in May 2007 while it convicted 28 others, of which 19, including two long-time associates of Amit, were given life imprisonment.