Jogi: Political hand?

Raipur, Jan. 7: Losing power and pride in quick succession, Ajit Jogi has been robbed of his purse, too.

The beleaguered former chief minister of Chhattisgarh discovered yesterday at Bilaspur railway station that pickpockets had cleaned out Rs 10,000 and some “vital papers”.

The infamous pocketmars operating between Raipur-Bilaspur and Jogi’s hometown Pandra managed to find the high-profile quarry when Jogi could not resist the temptation of getting off the train to meet a group of die-hard supporters lustily raising slogans that predicted his comeback.

As the former chief minister stepped out of the air-conditioned coach, the supporters surrounded him and raised more slogans. In the melee, the wallet disappeared from his kurta pocket.

Jogi realised this only when he returned to the coach. He rushed back to the platform, raising alarm about the missing wallet. A supporter then handed over Jogi’s identity card, saying he found it on the platform. “Obviously, somebody nicked the wallet, searched for papers and money and threw away the I-card,” said a Jogi supporter.

Luckless and without money, Jogi resumed his journey to Pandra. In the coach, Jogi was heard telling his fellow passengers that he was not so much worried about the loss of money as about the “vital documents”.

The belt is a happy hunting ground for pickpockets but some of Jogi’s supporters are smelling a “political hand”.

They alleged that his political opponents were trailing the chief minister and had employed the unconventional tactic to keep tabs on Jogi.

Official sources in Raipur pleaded ignorance about the incident. One of them asked: “Why was no first information report lodged? Was there something that does not meet the eye?”

Jogi’s fortunes started taking a knock much before the pickpockets struck.

Ever since he suffered the shock defeat in the Assembly polls and was caught in the cash-for-MLAs scandal, Jogi has fallen from grace at 10 Janpath.

There are indications that Jogi’s suspension from the party would not be revoked before the Lok Sabha polls.