Amit Jogi, former MLA from Marwahi in Chhattisgarh and the son of former CM Ajit Jogi, was arrested in a case related to false information in an affidavit regarding his birthplace, according to multiple reports. BJP leader Sameera Paikra, who had contested against Amit from Marwahi—a reserved ST constituency—had filed a complaint related to his caste and birthplace in the 2013 assembly election declaration. Amit was the Marwahi MLA from 2013 to 2018.
Chhattisgarh: Police arrests Amit Jogi, son of former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi, from his residence in Bilaspur. More details awaited. pic.twitter.com/5e26dyDlBr
— ANI (@ANI) September 3, 2019
On August 30, PTI reported that an FIR was registered against his father and Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (J) chief Ajit Jogi in Bilaspur district, days after a government-appointed committee rejected his claim of hailing from a tribal community. He was booked for allegedly fraudulently obtaining caste certificates. The 73-year-old politician's claim of being a tribal has been rejected multiple times in the past too. The scrutiny committee that looked into Ajit Jogi's caste status was formed on the order of the Chhattisgarh High Court in 2018.
The panel, headed by D.D. Singh, Secretary, Tribal and Scheduled Caste Development Department, submitted its report on August 23. It concluded that Ajit Jogi had failed to substantiate his claim of being a member of the Kanwar community, a Scheduled Tribe. In 2011, the Supreme Court had ordered the then BJP government in the state to form a high-powered committee to scrutinise Ajit Jogi's caste certificates. Ajit, who currently represents Marwahi, could lose his assembly representation.
The story will be updated when more details are available
-Inputs from PTI
