Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh): Chhattisgarh High Court, in a landmark judgement, rejected the appeal of 27 convicts in the high-profile case of the murder Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ramavatar Jaggi in 2003. The division bench consisting Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Arvind Verma upheld the life imprisonment sentence.
The debate on the appeal of the accused in the 21-year-old murder case of NCP leader Jaggi was completed on February 29. Chief Justice Sinha and Justice Verma concluded deliberations about the appeal of the accused in the murder case but reserved the ruling.
In addition to Yahya Dhebar and the gunman Chiman Singh, two former Chief Superintendent of polices and one former police station in-charge were also given life sentences.
On June 4, 2003, NCP leader Ramavatar Jaggi was shot and killed in Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh, while Ajit Jogi was serving as the first Chief Minister of the state. The murder sent shock waves across the state. The CBI was summoned and given the task of probing this sensational murder case that took place during the Assembly Elections.
Two of the 31 people who were accused in this case—Baltu Pathak and Surendra Singh—turned into government witnesses. As many as 28 people were jailed in this case, excluding Amit Jogi. Each of the accused had appealed to the HC, contesting the lower court's ruling.
After the appeal of the convicts was rejected, Ramvatar Jaggi's son Satish Jaggi said that he had full faith in the judiciary. and said that his family members kept saying from the beginning that this was a political conspiracy.
Satish Jaggi, son of deceased Ramavtar Jaggi, filed a petition in the HC against the acquittal of Amit Jogi. Hearing was underway in the court. Meanwhile, Amit Jogi filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court and demanded a stay on the hearing.
Since then, the hearing was stalled in the HC and was started only after receiving the hearing order from the SC. The hearing continued for four consecutive days.
Diamond businessman from Raipur, Ramavatar Jaggi was campaigning for the BJP before the 2003 assembly election. He was considered a close aid of senior BJP leaders. However, he was murdered while campaigning was ongoing.
Initially, the state police was investigating the murder case. Later, during the assembly session, the then CM Raman Singh passed a proposal and handed the case over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The CBI presented a challan at the CBI Special Court accusing 29 people, including Amit Jogi, son of former CM Ajit Jogi, of involvement and conspiracy in the murder. The hearing in the case continued for several years.
Ultimately the CBI court acquitted Amit Jogi and sentenced 27 people to life imprisonment. Chhattisgarh HC, while upholding the sentence of the CBI court, rejected the petition filed by him against the sentence.
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