Ex-MLA Amit Jogi's judicial remand extended till Sept 30 in forgery case

A court here in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday extended the judicial custody of former MLA and Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) leader Amit Jogi, arrested for his alleged role in forgery and cheating case, by a fortnight.

Amit Jogi, the son of former chief minister Ajit Jogi, was arrested on September 3 in the case lodged on the compliant of Sameera Paikra, the BJP candidate from the Marwahi seat in the 2013 assembly polls.

The 42-year-old state president of the Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J) is accused of providing false information in his affidavit submitted along with his nomination paper in the 2013 assembly election.

Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) Aslam Khan of Gaurela-Pendra town of Bilaspur district extended Jogi's judicial custody till September 30, public prosecutor Sanjeev Rai said.

The magisterial court earlier had remanded Jogi in judicial custody on September 3 after rejecting his bail plea.

His bail plea was also turned down subsequently by a sessions court after which he has moved the Chhattisgarh High Court for bail. His bail plea is pending there.

Amit Jogi was lodged in a sub-jail at Gaurela-Pendra under judicial custody. He was later admitted at a Raipur hospital following serious health complications.

The ex-legislator was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday and brought to Gaurela by the police, Rai said.

The former MLA was produced in the court as his 14-day judicial custody was ended today, the public prosecutor said.

While extending his judicial remand, the court directed officials concerned to provide him necessary medical facilities as per jail manual, he added.

Paikra had lodged the FIR against Amit Jogi in February this year at the Gaurela police station here, alleging he provided wrong information about his birth place in the affidavit while filing his nomination papers for the 2013 polls, police had said.

According to the complaint, Amit Jogi mentioned his birth place as Sarbahara village of Bilaspur district, but when he applied for Indian citizenship, he mentioned that he was born in the United States.

Amit Jogi was booked under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record).

Amit Jogi had won the assembly poll from Marwahi in Bilaspur district, reserved for Scheduled Tribe candidates, defeating Paikra in 2013. Currently, his father Ajit Jogi is the MLA from Marwahi.

Ajit Jogi, the founder of the Janata Congress Chhattisgarh (J), had dubbed the action against his son as "political vendetta" and claimed he has been framed on false charges.