A Delhi court on Monday acquitted five persons, including former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi’s son Amit Jogi, in a graft case relating to a 2003 sting operation involving former minister in previous NDA regime Dilip Singh Judeo.
“All the accused persons are acquitted of the charges levelled against them,” Special CBI Judge Rajneesh Kumar Gupta said while pronouncing the judgement.
Besides Amit, the court also acquitted Judeo’s then private secretary Natwar Rateria, Arvind Vijay Mohan, Rajat Prasad and Bhupinder Singh Patel in the case.
The trial was abated against Judeo since he died during the pendency of the trial.
Advocate Rahul Tyagi, who was representing Amit and Patel, said the court acquitted his clients as the CBI could not prove its case against them.
The court had framed charges against Rateria, who was caught on camera when the former Minister of State was allegedly receiving cash, and four others including Amit, who were alleged to have planned the sting to disgrace the BJP leader.
Patel, Mohan and Prasad, who had allegedly played pivotal role for carrying out the sting, were also charged under various provisions of IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act.
According to CBI, Judeo, who was Forest and Environment Minister in the first National Democratic Alliance government, and Rateria had allegedly received illegal gratification of Rs 9 lakh at Hotel Taj Mansingh Palace here on November 5, 2003.
It had said that the bribe money was offered by Patel during a sting carried out at the behest of Amit, who wanted to disgrace Judeo ahead of the Assembly election.
The sting, which was later telecast on various news channels, was plotted to derive political mileage in favour of then Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi as the Assembly elections in the state were scheduled in November 2003, the charge sheet had alleged.