New Delhi: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today (Dec 9, 2003) registered a case under Prevention of Corruption Act against former Chattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi and his son Amit for allegedly trying to bribe Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs after the recent Assembly elections in the State.

A first information report (FIR) was filed before a designated court against Jogi, Amit and Congress MP P R Kunte, following Chattisgarh Government's decision to hand over the case to the agency, CBI sources said.

The case alleges that Jogi used "unfair" means to prevent BJP from forming Government in the State despite having a majority.

The CBI registered the case against all the three also under section 34 of Indian Penal Code (IPC), which states that "when a criminal act is done by several persons in furtherance of the common intention of all, each of such persons is liable for the act in the same manner as if it were done by him alone."

The FIR also cites section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) against all three of them besides some sections of Prevention of Corruption Act, which includes bribery and receiving grafts.

The CBI would now be issuing notices to all three of them to appear before the agency.

The case was transferred from the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Chattisgarh, which had registered a case against Jogi when he was in office, his son Amit and defected Congress MP P R Khunte "under various sections of conspiracy and prevention of Corruption Act".

Chief Minister Raman Singh, immediately after the swearing-in ceremony on Sunday, had said although the ACB had registered a case against the trio the case was being handed over to CBI given the seriousness of the matter and since it was related to an outgoing Chief Minister and defection.

The CBI would be probing the entire case under section six of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, under which the agency would have jurisdiction over the entire State for carrying out its investigations.

PTI