Supreme Court Grants Interim Relief To Amit Jogi, Stays HC Order In 2003 Ramavatar Jaggi Murder Case

The bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and Vijay Bishnoi passed the interim order while issuing notice on Jogi’s appeal challenging the High Court verdict.

The Court stayed the “operation and effect” of the impugned judgment, which had recently convicted Jogi and directed him to surrender before the authorities. It also stayed a related High Court order that required him to furnish bail bonds, noting that non-compliance would have otherwise triggered coercive consequences.

During the hearing, the Bench questioned the procedural fairness of the High Court’s decision. Justice Mehta orally remarked on the apparent absence of adequate hearing before conviction, observing: “What kind of judgment… conviction and sentence before hearing?”

Senior Advocates Kapil Sibal, Vivek Tankha and Mukul Rohatgi appeared for Jogi, while Senior Advocates Siddharth Luthra and Gopal Sankaranarayanan represented the victim’s family and opposed the plea.

The case relates to the murder of Nationalist Congress Party leader Ramavatar Jaggi, who was shot dead on June 4, 2003, while travelling in his car in Chhattisgarh. At the time, Jogi’s father, Ajit Jogi, was serving as Chief Minister.

In 2007, a trial court convicted 28 accused in the case but acquitted Amit Jogi of all charges, holding that the prosecution had failed to establish his involvement.

Subsequently, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which had taken over the probe from the State police, challenged the acquittal before the High Court. However, in 2011, the High Court dismissed the CBI’s appeal as not maintainable.

This position was overturned by the Supreme Court last year, which directed the High Court to reconsider the matter on merits. In the second round of proceedings, the High Court convicted Jogi, describing him as the “mastermind” and “driving force” behind the conspiracy to murder Jaggi.

The High Court relied on circumstantial evidence, including alleged meetings, financial transactions, and witness testimonies, to conclude that Jogi orchestrated the conspiracy. It also criticised his conduct during the proceedings, observing that he had sought repeated adjournments and failed to advance arguments.

Taking note of the submissions on behalf of Jogi, the Supreme Court intervened and granted interim relief, effectively halting the consequences of the High Court’s conviction order. It also issued notice to the CBI, seeking its response to Jogi’s challenge against the High Court ruling.

In a related news, last month, the Court had granted bail to Yahya Dhebar, a convict in the 2003 murder case of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ram Avatar Jaggi, suspending his life sentence after nearly two years in custody. Dhebar has been in custody since April 30, 2024. He was originally convicted by a Special Court in Chhattisgarh on May 31, 2007, under Sections 302 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code, and sentenced to life imprisonment. His conviction and sentence were upheld by the High Court in 2024, following which he approached the apex court.

Case Title: Amit Jogi v. CBI

Bench: Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and Vijay Bishnoi

Hearing Date: April 23, 2026