Supreme Court stays life sentence of Amit Jogi in 2003 Ram Avtar Jaggi murder case

“The transaction of funds, evidence of frequent meetings in Batra House, Hotel Green Park and CM House of the accused persons along with Amit Jogi clearly demonstrates that he was aware of all the activities right from the very beginning and the entire offence was orchestrated as per the directions of Amit Jogi.”

The high court said the trial court decision acquitting Amit Jogi was “palpably illegal, wrong, perverse, contrary to the evidence available on record and without any concrete basis.” The high court convicted him under Section 302 read with Section 120-B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sentenced him to undergo imprisonment for life with a fine of Rs 1,000 and, in default thereof, to undergo an additional six months of rigorous imprisonment.

Ram Avatar Jaggi murder case

Ram Avatar Jaggi, who was the leader of the National Congress Party, was murdered by unknown assailants on June 4, 2003. The local police, who initially investigated the case, named 5 accused in the chargesheet.

After Satish Jaggi, Jaggi’s son, expressed dissatisfaction with the police investigation, the state later transferred the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which filed a fresh chargesheet/

“Amit Jogi, Chiman Singh, Yahaya Dhebar, Abhay Goyal and Firoz Siddiqui hatched a conspiracy to disrupt the National Congress Party’s June 10, 2003, rally by targeting its treasurer, Ramavatar Jaggi. A meeting to finalise the plan to disrupt the rally was held at the Chief Minister’s (Ajit Jogi was the sitting CM at that time) residence in May, 2003, wherein Ramavatar Jaggi was selected as the prime target,” CBI said in the chargesheet.

“On June 4, 2003, at about 10 pm, Chiman Singh and other assailants hired from Bhind ambushed the Alto car in which Shri Ramavatar Jaggi was travelling. They damaged the vehicle with sticks. Chiman Singh shot Ramavatar Jaggi, whereas the other accused persons snatched away the sacred garland of Rudraksha beads (necklace) worn by Ramavatar Jaggi during the attack.”

In May 2007, the trial court found 28 people guilty under various provisions of the IPC and the Arms Act, but acquitted Amit Jogi of the charges levelled against him, citing insufficient evidence.

Though the state and Satish Jaggi approached the high court against the acquittal, their pleas were dismissed on September 12, 2011, on grounds of delay. On November 6, 2025, the Supreme Court set aside the high court’s order and remitted the matter to the HC for fresh consideration of the CBI’s application for the grant of leave to appeal.