Former Chhattisgarh CM Ajit Jogi booked for forgery, cheating

Chhattisgarh police has booked former state chief minister Ajit Jogi for cheating and forgery. He has been accused of getting a fake document that appeared to certify that he belongs to the scheduled tribe community.

The case was filed on the complaint of Sameera Paikra in Bilaspur district, the BJP candidate from the Marwahi seat in 2013 assembly polls.

Ajit Jogi’s son Amit was arrested this week on similar charges.

Hours after the police filed a fresh FIR on Thursday evening, Jogi was admitted to a private hospital in Gurugram. His aide, Nilesh Chauhan, said Jogi was facing some breathing problems.

“Jogi ji is in ICU,” said Chauhan, who is also the spokesperson for Janata Congress Chhattisgarh. Jogi’s party also released a photograph of Jogi being taken to hospital in an ambulance.

In his complaint to the police, BJP’s Sameera Paikra had cited an affidavit filed by government official Patras Tirkey posted in Bilaspur 50 years ago.

Prashant Agarwal, Bilaspur district superintendent of police told Hindustan Times that it was around 1967-68 when Ajit Jogi had obtained the certificate.

The SP further said that police booked Jogi under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 of (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record).

“As per the affidavit of Tirkey, he has not given any caste certificate to Ajit Jogi in 1967, which Jogi claimed that he had obtained. Tirkey also says in his affidavit that if there is any certificate with my signature and produced by Ajit Jogi , it should be considered as fake,” the SP said.