A life-size statue of former Chhattisgarh chief minister late Ajit Jogi went missing on Monday from a square in Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district where it had been kept for unveiling on May 29, officials said.
While the incident prompted Jogi's son Amit Jogi to stage a protest at the spot, the statue was later found dumped in the premises of the Gaurela municipality office. The local police have registered a theft case against unidentified persons, said officials.
The statue of Jogi was installed on a platform on the roadside at Jyotipur square in Gaurela town a few days back. It was to be unveiled on May 29, the death anniversary of the state's first Chief Minister.
On May 22, the Gaurela Municipal Council had served a notice to the construction firm tasked with building the platform to remove the statue at once.
CCTV footage from the area showed that the statue was removed using an earthmover around 2.30 am, said Naveen Borkar, station house officer of Gaurela police station.
A case has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections concerning theft and dishonestly taking movable property out of someone's possession without their consent, he said.
During a search, the statue was found at the Gaurela municipality office campus.
Police have also identified the earthmover, a JCB machine, used to remove the statue, and a team has been sent to seize it, the official said.
When asked whether the municipality removed the statue, Sub Divisional Magistrate of Gaurela, Richa Chandrakar, said the matter is being investigated and further action will be taken accordingly.
The statue was later brought back to the place where it was to be installed.
In its notice to the construction firm, Shri Ganesh Construction, the municipality had said that the statue had been installed on the platform without permission, which is “against its work order issued for a garden and platform" and in violation of the PWD Work Manual.
Through the notice, the chief municipality officer had directed the firm to immediately remove the installed statue and submit a detailed report regarding the work within 24 hours. The notice also warned of legal action in case of non-compliance.
After learning about the missing statue, Jogi's son Amit Jogi and his supporters protested at the spot on Monday morning.
“People of the district wanted Jogi ji's statue installed in Jyotipur, his birthplace. The statue was removed and desecrated at 2 am in the darkness.
“It is not just an attack on the statue. Jogi ji may not be physically present amongst us, but he is alive in the heart of every person here,” Amit Jogi told reporters.
He demanded stern action against those involved in the episode, stressing that the statue should be reinstalled at the same place within 24 hours.
When asked about the notice served by the municipality, he said, “I don't have any information about the notice. But I can vouch that the land on which the statue is to be installed does not belong to the municipality. It is private land, and the owner does not have any objection to it.” He said people's sentiments are attached to the statue.
“Chhattisgarh got recognition in the entire country because of Ajit Jogi. If the ruling BJP doesn't want his statue to be installed at his native place, then it shows their narrow-mindedness,” he said The statue has been purified with the holy water of Ganga, he said.
“Jogi ji was not the leader of only a party. I want both Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Leader of Opposition Charan Das Mahant to unveil the statue of Jogi ji,” he added.
After Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh in 2000, Ajit Jogi became the CM of the state in the Congress government from 2000 to 2003.
Ajit Jogi had founded JCC(J), also known as Jogi Congress, in June 2016 after he parted ways with the Congress. He died in May 2020.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
