HC notice to Centre, state in Ajit Jogi caste issue

The Chhattisgarh High Court today issued notices to the Union government and nine others on a petition demanding probe into former chief minister Ajit Jogi and his son's tribal caste certificates, which were revoked recently.
The bench of Justice Rajendra Singh Samant issued notices to the centre, the state government, Ministry of Home Affairs, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, Bilaspur district magistrate, Ajit Jogi and son Amit, and three local authorities on the criminal writ petition filed by BJP leader Samira Paikra and others.
The court has asked them to submit their replies within six weeks, petitioners' lawyer Satischandra Verma said.

Paikra, who is the vice-president of Bilaspur Zila Panchayat, former MLA Pahalwan Singh Marawi, and at least 200 tribals from Marwahi assembly constituency had filed the petition two months back demanding probe into the caste certificates of the two former Congress leaders as well as the birth certificate of Amit, he said.
The petition contended that the scheduled tribe certificates issued to Jogi and his son were "fake", the counsel said.
The petitioners also questioned the birth certificate of Amit, an MLA from Marwahi seat, contending that so far separate documents pertaining to his birth place in Texas (US), Indore (Madhya Pradesh) and Sarbahra (Pendra, Bilaspur) have come to the light, he said.

The petition demanded a CBI probe into these issues.