In Brief
On 4 June 2003, Ramavatar Jaggi, a National Congress Party leader, was murdered in Raipur. After local police investigation proved unsatisfactory, the case was transferred to the CBI at the State's request. The CBI filed a chargesheet against 28 accused, including Amit Aishwarya Jogi (son of the then Chief Minister). At trial, Jogi was acquitted for insufficient evidence while 28 others were convicted. The State, CBI, and victim's son separately challenged the acquittal. The Supreme Court held that the State cannot appeal in CBI-investigated cases under Section 378(1) CrPC; the victim's right to appeal under Section 372 CrPC proviso applies only to post-2009 acquittals; and the CBI's delayed application for leave to appeal should be reconsidered on merits in the High Court.
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