The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the Chhattisgarh High Court’s order convicting Amit Jogi to life imprisonment in the 2003 murder of Ram Avtar Jaggi, a political rival of his father Ajit Jogi. Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued notice on Jogi’s appeal and suspended the high court’s April 2, 2026, judgment. The bench ordered that the conviction under IPC Sections 302 and 120B and the life sentence remain stayed pending hearing.
The Supreme Court issued notice on Amit Jogi’s appeal and stayed the Chhattisgarh High Court’s April 2, 2026, order convicting him under IPC Sections 302 read with 120B for the murder of Ram Avtar Jaggi. The high court had sentenced Jogi to life imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1,000, with six months’ rigorous imprisonment in default. The bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta ruled that the conviction and sentence shall remain stayed.
The high court described the trial court’s May 31, 2007, acquittal of Jogi as “palpably illegal, wrong, perverse, contrary to the evidence available on record and without any concrete basis.” Ram Avtar Jaggi, leader of the National Congress Party and a rival of Ajit Jogi, was murdered by unknown assailants on June 4, 2003.
Local police initially named five accused in the chargesheet. After Satish Jaggi, the victim’s son, expressed dissatisfaction, the probe was transferred to the CBI. In May 2007, the trial court convicted 28 people but acquitted Jogi citing insufficient evidence.
The state and Satish Jaggi appealed the acquittal to the high court, which dismissed the pleas on September 12, 2011, due to delay. On November 6, 2025, the Supreme Court set aside that dismissal and remitted the matter to the high court for fresh consideration of the CBI’s appeal.
