Date:25/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/25/stories/2008052554671000.htm

National

UPA misused the CBI in Jogi case, alleges BJP

Neena Vyas

“It is just an excuse not to proceed with the case”

After the 2003 elections he tried to bribe BJP MLAs
Centre trying to protect Jogi ahead of Assembly polls

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday alleged that the United Progressive Alliance government had “misused and pressured” the Central Bureau of Investigation into stating that it was unable to prosecute the former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, Ajit Jogi, in a corruption case.

Party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said the Centre was trying to “protect” Mr. Jogi ahead of the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections due later this year. “It was a clear case of corruption. After the Assembly elections of 2003 he tried to bribe some BJP MLAs as the Congress was short of a majority. Now to say, as the CBI has done, that there is no law under which he can be prosecuted is just an excuse not to proceed with the case,” Mr. Prasad added.

The BJP has pointed out “the incident occurred when Mr. Jogi was still the Chief Minister. His party [the Congress] had lost the election, but a new Chief Minister had not yet been sworn-in.”

The CBI had registered a case against Mr. Jogi and his son, Amit Jogi, under the Prevention of Corruption Act after a sting operation that recorded an offer of money to a few BJP MLAs, who had just won the 2003 Assembly polls.

Mr. Prasad was commenting on reports that the CBI has conveyed to the Law Ministry that it was unable to prosecute Mr. Jogi as there was no provision in law for the CBI to act. Mr. Jogi is now an MP of the Congress.