Congress leaders hobnobbed with BJP before Jogi's arrest ?

Raipur, Apr 3 (UNI) Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi today said he was aware that a few Congress leaders ''were in touch'' with the ruling BJP for three days before his arrest in connection with a private complaint case related to the murder of a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader.

''Some enthusiastic partymen have secured mobile phone call details of a few leaders. They told me that these leaders were in regular touch with the BJP leaders before my arrest on March 18 '', he said at a press conference here.

Mr Jogi, however, refused to elaborate. '' At present, I am not considering to raise this issue before the party high command'', he said adding appropriate legal remedy was being taken with regard to the private complaint case against him.

Former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi was arrested by the police in the midst of a campaign for the by-election in Rajnandgaon, on the basis of a warrant issued by a local court on a private complaint case related to the murder of Nationaist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ram Avatar Jaggi in June 2003.

While Mr Jogi's supporters termed his arrest during the election campaign as a ''political conspiracy,'' the former Chief Minister later moved the sessions court, which granted him bail.

UNI