Special public prosecuter removed in Jogi case

Raipur, Mar 21 (UNI) The Chhattisgarh Government has replaced its special public prosecuter Vijay Shankar Gupta on the charges of not presenting its case properly in connection with the bail plea of former chief minister Ajit Jogi in the controversial Ram Avatar Jaggi murder case.

Official sources said Mr Gupta was removed last night, as he pleaded on behalf of the government without proper preparation and did not consult seniors about the case.

Mr Jogi was arrested by the police on Sunday night while he was busy campaigning for the Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha bypoll on the basis of a warrant issued by a local court on a 'private complaint' seeking to array the former chief minister as an accused in the Ram Avatar Jaggi murder case.

Opposition Congress termed his arrest on a private complaint, as a political conspiracy to keep Mr Jogi out of election scene at Rajnandgaon, as he was heading the campaign of Congress nominee Devarat Singh, who is pitted against Mr Leelaram Bhojwani (BJP) in the March 29 elections.

When Mr Jogi's bail plea came up for hearing in the court of Additional district and Sessions Judge B L Tidke, special public prosecuter V S Gupta argued for preventing Mr Jogi from canvassing for the Rajnandgaon Lok Sabha by-poll.

''The former chief minister is not keeping good health. His life is precious. Instead of going elsewhere, he should avail better treatment,'' he argued in the court.

The court had granted bail to Mr Jogi, who is undergoing treatment at a heart hospital here, on a personal bond of Rs one lakh and two sureties of Rs 50,000 each.

UNI