Antagarh tapes: Former CM Ajit Jogi, son among 5 booked

The Chhattisgarh police has registered an FIR against five people, including former chief minister Ajit Jogi, his son Amit Jogi and former PWD minister Rajesh Munat, in connection with the Antagarh tapes case.

Updated on: Feb 4, 2019, 23:19:34 IST

By Ritesh Mishra

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Acting on the complaint of a Congress leader, the Chhattisgarh police on Monday registered a first information report (FIR) against five people, including former chief minister Ajit Jogi, his son Amit Jogi and former PWD minister Rajesh Munat, in connection with the Antagarh tapes case, said a police officer.

The Chhattisgarh police has registered an FIR against five people, including former chief minister Ajit Jogi, his son Amit Jogi and former PWD minister Rajesh Munat, in connection with the Antagarh tapes case. (HT FILE PHOTO)

In 2015-16, the audio tapes purportedly revealed that the Antagarh assembly bypoll in 2014 was fixed and the state Congress unit expelled Amit Jogi from the party. The by-election was won by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Bhojraj Nag.

“We have registered a case on the complaint of spokesperson Chhattisgarh Congress party Kiranmayee Nayak with Pandri police station of the city,” additional superintendent of police Prafull Kumar Thakur said.

Dr Puneet Gupta, son-in-law of former CM Dr Raman Singh, and Manturam Pawar, the Congress candidate in the 2014 bypoll, have also been named in the FIR.

Earlier, on January 28, the Congress government in Chhattisgarh had formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the alleged fixing of the Antagarh by-poll during the BJP regime in the state.

The audio tapes contained alleged phone conversations between Ajit Jogi, his son Amit, Puneet Gupta, Pawar and former Jogi loyalists Firoz Siddiqui and Ameen Memon, to “fix” the by-poll.

Pawar who pulled out of the electoral contest a day before the last date for withdrawal, was expelled from the Congress. The audio tape released suggested that his withdrawal was at the behest of the BJP and was facilitated by former chief minister Ajit Jogi.

The state Congress, led by party’s state president Bhupesh Baghel, had then expelled Amit Jogi from the party. However, then BJP chief minister Raman Singh as well as both Amit and Ajit Jogi had rejected allegations of their involvement in the episode.

On Monday, Manturam Pawar said that allegations against him are baseless.

“I will come out clean and then I will file a defamation case against Congress leaders who maligned me,” said Pawar.

Amit Jogi alleged that chief minister Bhupesh Baghel was misusing his administration.

Both Munat and Puneet Gupta did not respond to phone calls and messages sent by HT.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More

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