Ex-Chhattisgarh CM Ajit Jogi booked after state panel rejects tribal status

The high powered committee, set up on the directions of the high court and headed by the secretary of the department of primitive caste DD Singh, concluded its probe on Ajit Jogi’s caste status on August 21.

Updated on: Aug 30, 2019, 10:18:47 IST

Hindustan Times, Raipur | By Ritesh Mishra

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Police in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur have registered a case against former chief minister Ajit Jogi after his claim to tribal status was rejected by a government-appointed committee, officials said on Friday.

A government-appointed committee said Ajit Jogi had failed to substantiate his claim of being a member of the Kanwar community, which comes under Schedule Tribe. (Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

The case was registered under section 10-1 of Chhattisgarh Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes (Regulation of Certification of Social Status) Rules, 2013 with Civil Lines police station on Thursday night. The section imposed on Jogi is non-bailable with the punishment of two years.

“We have registered a case and started investigating it,” Bilaspur’s superintendent of police Prashant Agarwal said.

The high powered committee, set up on the directions of the high court and headed by the secretary of the department of primitive caste DD Singh, concluded its probe on Jogi’s caste status on August 21. It said Jogi had failed to substantiate his claim of being a member of the Kanwar community, which comes under Schedule Tribe.

The committee had also directed Bilaspur’s collector to take action under the provisions of Chhattisgarh Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes (Regulation of Certification of Social Status) Rules, 2013. At the same time, the police were instructed to confiscate the certificates of Jogi under the provisions of Rule 23(5) of Rule 2013.

“The matter is in court. We have filed a writ petition against the order of high powered committee and we will mention the FIR also in the writ petition,” said Amit Jogi, son of Ajit Jogi.

“Secondly, the government is totally biased and doing vendetta politics against my father. We will fight the battle as per law and challenge everything in the court,” Amit Jodi added.

In 2001, senior BJP leader and former chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Tribes Nand Kumar Sai and another party leader Sant Kumar Netam had challenged Jogi’s tribal status in the high court.

The high court had said in its judgment that the National Commission for Scheduled Castes/Tribes does not have the right to determine, investigate on caste and Netam approached the Supreme Court challenging the decision.

The Supreme Court said on October 13, 2011, that the government should resolve the caste case of Ajit Jogi by forming a high-powered committee.

The six-member committee evoked all caste certificates of Ajit Jogi on June 27, 2017. But the former CM challenged this decision in the high court and on February 21, 2018, that court directed the state government to reconstitute the committee again under DD Singh.

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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