Himalayan News Service

Raipur, May 14:

A panicky former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi is hectically lobbying with Congress leaders in New Delhi to avert the imminent arrest of his son in a murder case.

Reports that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) might soon arrest his son Amit in connection with the murder of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ramavtar Jaggi in June 2003 have got Jogi seriously worried, say sources close to him.

According to them, Jogi is using all his political resources to stop the CBI from arresting his only son.

A top Jogi aide said the Lok Sabha MP had sought the help of a few top Congress leaders to convince party president Sonia Gandhi that his son was a victim of the “worst form of politics” and had nothing to do with the murder. He has also sought the help of Congress leaders to persuade the home ministry not to go ahead with the arrest.

“He fears complete isolation by the party and a downfall in his political career once Amit is arrested. He is using all his political contacts to keep the CBI away from his son,” disclosed a close associate.

The bureaucrat-turned-politician has faced a dozen serious investigations in his 20 odd years in active politics and was even suspended from the party in late 2003 on charges of trying to buy off Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators. That year, he led his party to a stunning defeat but has managed to spring back.

This time, the charges might undo him, fear some party leaders.

His son Amit gave up his US citizenship and acquired Indian citizenship last year in an apparent bid to join politics. Eighteen people have been arrested in the Jaggi case and 62 others interrogated by CBI.

News reports say CBI could arrest Jogi’s son any moment as it had enough leads to show that he played the role of a kingpin in the murder. “Our investigation is more or less complete and we expect to make a few arrests shortly,” a senior CBI official said in New Delhi.