Amit Jogi gets bail in Jaggi murder case

Bilaspur, May 3 (UNI) The Chhattisgarh High Court today granted bail to former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi's son Amit, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the murder of the then state NCP treasurer Ram Avatar Jaggi in June 2003.

Chief Justice Subray Rama Nayak granted conditional bail to Amit, who is at present lodged in Central Jail in Raipur, where he is facing trial in the special CBI court.

The High Court directed Amit to furnish a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh and deposit his passport with the trial court besides appearing personally at local police station every 15 days.

Amit, who was arrested by the CBI on July 1 last year, was asked not to influence witnesses in the case.

Few months before the maiden assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, Mr Jaggi was gunned down by unidentified persons while he was returning home from the state NCP office.

Initially, police arrested five people from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, claiming that they had shot him dead while attempting to loot him.

But NCP leaders and the then opposition alleged that it was a political murder and demanded an inquiry by the CBI.

Soon after the BJP came to power after December 2003 elections, Dr Raman Singh government handed over the case to the CBI following demands from the victim's family members.

Subsequently, the CBI arrested Amit and other accused besides three senior police officials on the charge of allegedly arresting fake accused.

Earlier, the trial court and the High Court had turned down the bail plea of Amit, who has been charged with criminal conspiracy and murder.

The trial of Jaggi murder case is progressing in the court of additional district and sessions Judge Shiv Mangal Pandey in the state capital.

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