Tag: dhanbad judge dead

‘Report After Report’: Jharkhand HC Once Again Pulls up CBI Over Dhanbad Judge Murder Probe

The court had earlier compared the charge sheet to a “novel.”

New Delhi: The high court of Jharkhand on Friday, December 17, reprimanded the Central Bureau of Investigation again, pointing out that while it has been filing multiple reports, it has been unable to offer a plausible explanation of the events leading up to the Dhanbad judge’s murder case.

CCTV footage had showed Judge Uttam Anand, was jogging on one side of a fairly wide road at Randhir Verma Chowk near the district court early on July 28, being hit by a heavy auto-rickshaw which had specifically veered towards him and then fled the scene.

Locals found him in a pool of blood and took him to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Hearing the petition, a division bench of Chief Justice Dr. Ravi Ranjan and Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad observed, “The agency has been filing report after report and yet the motive and intention behind the murder and other persons involved in the conspiracy have not been named.”

In October, the high court had said the charge sheet filed by the CBI in the unnatural death case of a Dhanbad district judge in July is like a “novel” and in it, the agency had failed to substantiate the murder charge against the two accused.

The high court, on repeated occasions, has pulled up the CBI in the case. On October 22, it had said the agency seems to have worked like babus (bureaucrats) while completing the probe and had filed a “stereotype” charge sheet.

The CBI had earlier told the court several times that the investigation was proceeding “in full swing” and had even said that the connection of the two accused with several persons is being explored to link it with Anand’s murder.

Dhanbad police had seized the auto-rickshaw from Giridih district and arrested the auto-rickshaw driver Lakhan Verma and his assistant Rahul Verma. A special investigation team (SIT) of the state police was probing the case first, but the state government later handed it over to the CBI which started its investigation on August 4.

The Supreme Court had directed the Jharkhand high court to monitor the investigation of the case. The high court, too, had expressed displeasure at the manner of investigation into the case.

Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana had even said that the central agencies are not ‘helping the judiciary at all’, while hearing a suo motu case on providing protection to judges.

Referring to Anand’s death, the CJI had said, “Look at the unfortunate case of the death of a young judge. It’s the state’s failure. This area has coal mafias and security should have been provided to the society and residences of judges.”

The bench had also described the death of the judge as the “state’s failure.”

(With PTI inputs)

Dhanbad Judge Death Case: Jharkhand HC Asks CBI to Be More Specific in Its Probe

Last month the CBI had doubled the bounty to Rs 10 lakh for “information of importance” in the death of the judge

Ranchi: The Jharkhand high court on Friday said the investigation report tabled by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is vague and not clear and ordered the investigating agency to be specific in its probe into the Dhanbad judge death case.

A division bench of Chief Justice Ravi Ranjan and Justice Gautam Kumar Choudhary, who was sworn in during the day, said the special investigating team of CBI ought to be more accurate in furnishing the details of the investigation.

The bench conducted the hearing in the physical mode. The counsel for CBI informed the court that the investigation has revealed some new facts in the case.

The two accused who have been arrested have accepted their relation with several persons who are under the CBI scanner. It is, however, too early to disclose the names and more proof is awaited, the counsel said. The case will be heard again on October 21.

Last month, the CBI had doubled the bounty to Rs 10 lakh for “information of importance” in the death of the judge.

Also Read: Backstory: Have the Media Become Accessories to Covering up Murder?

The 49-year-old district judge was allegedly hit by a heavy autorickshaw after it veered towards him when he was out jogging on a wide road near Randhir Verma Chowk in Dhanbad on July 28 morning. The auto rickshaw had fled the scene immediately after the incident.

Meanwhile, the state government informed the court that it will complete all pending appointments in the Forensic State Laboratory within six months. Necessary funds required will also be released within this time to complete the appointments, the government pleader said.

The court fixed a three-month deadline to finish all pending appointments and vacant posts in the laboratory and cautioned that strict orders will be passed if the government fails to meet the deadline.

Dhanbad Judge’s Death Case: CM Orders CBI Probe, Cop Suspended for Not Filing FIR on Time

The 49-year-old judge was allegedly mowed down by a heavy autorickshaw while he was on morning jog on July 28 morning in Dhanbad.

New Delhi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has decided to hand over the probe into hit-and-run case of Dhanbad judge to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Meanwhile, the officer-in-charge of Jharkhand’s Pathardih police station, Umesh Manjhi, has been suspended for not registering an FIR on time in connection with the death, reports have said.

An official spokesman said that the chief minister has recommended handing over the probe in the death of District and Sessions court-8 judge Uttam Anand to the premier investigating agency.

The 49-year-old judge was allegedly mowed down by a heavy autorickshaw while he was on morning jog on July 28 morning in Dhanbad.

The Jharkhand government had set up a Special Investigation Team to crack the judge’s death case. After meeting the family members of the judge, Soren had on Friday said the government was serious on the matter and had assured the family that justice will be done.

“It is state government’s priority to complete the investigation of this incident at a speedy pace and provide justice to the family members,” Soren had told the family.

The Supreme Court and also the Jharkhand high court had expressed concerns over the matter and directed the state police to solve the case speedily.

Lawyers across Jharkhand had on Friday abstained from judicial work responding to the call of all 37 bar associations including 24 district bar associations, 12 sub divisional bar associations and the Advocates Association at Jharkhand high court to protest against the judge’s death and an advocate’s murder in the state.

The lawyers had abstained from work to express solidarity and demanded implementation of Advocates Protection Act, he said.

The Supreme Court Friday took suo motu cognisance of the incident.

“We direct the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) of Jharkhand to submit a report in a week’s time on the status of investigation on the sad demise of additional district and sessions Judge Uttam Anand, said the bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana.

Also read: Two Arrested In Connection With Dhanbad Judge’s Death; SC Takes Suo Motu Cognisance

The bench had said it was concerned with the larger issues such as the nature of the incident and the steps taken by the state governments for protection of judicial officers inside and outside the court premises .

Jharkhand’s Chief Justice Ravi Ranjan had on Thursday said, “If at any point of time it appears to the court that the investigation is not heading in the right direction, then the case will be handed over to the CBI.”

CCTV footages showed that the judge was jogging on one side of a fairly wide road at Randhir Verma Chowk early on Wednesday when a heavy auto-rickshaw veered towards him, hit him from behind and fled the scene.

Locals took him to a nearby hospital, where the doctors had declared him dead on arrival.

The Jharkhand police had on Thursday arrested two persons, auto drivers, Lakhan Verma and his helper Rahul Verma, in connection with the case.

The arrests were made following the recovery of the three-wheeler involved in the incident, Senior Superintendent of Police, Dhanbad, Sanjiv Kumar, had said, adding the three-wheeler recovered from Giridih is registered in a woman’s name.

A Dhanbad district court had late Thursday night sent the two to five days police custody.

(With PTI inputs)

Two Arrested In Connection With Dhanbad Judge’s Death; SC Takes Suo Motu Cognizance

The top court said that it is concerned with the “larger issue” of the nature of the incident and the steps taken by the state governments to protect judicial officers inside and outside the court premises.

New Delhi: Two persons were arrested on Thursday in connection with the ‘hit-and-run’ case in Dhanbad which killed judge Uttam Anand during his morning jog.

The arrests were made following the recovery of the three-wheeler involved in the incident, senior superintendent of police (SSP), Dhanbad, Sanjiv Kumar, told news agency PTI.

CCTV footage showed that Anand, the district and sessions judge-8 of the Dhanbad court, was jogging on one side of a fairly wide road at Randhir Verma Chowk early on Wednesday when a heavy auto-rickshaw veered towards him, hit him from behind and fled the scene. This raised concerns that it was not a hit-and-run case and that the auto may have rammed him deliberately.

Locals took him to a nearby hospital, where the doctors declared him dead on arrival.

According to sources in the Dhanbad court, Anand, known to be a strict judge, had recently declined the bail pleas of some gangsters. Police have said it is too soon to link this decision with the hit-and-run case.

“We have arrested two persons, auto driver Lakhan Verma and his helper Rahul Verma, on Thursday morning. Rahul Verma, a resident of Digwadih, Dhanbad, was arrested from a tempo stand, while the other person was held in Giridih,” the SSP told PTI.

He also said that the three-wheeler, recovered from Giridih, is registered in a woman’s name.

Police sources told The Hindu that the auto-rickshaw was stolen at around 2 am on Wednesday. The judge was hit at around 5 am.

An FIR was filed in the case after the wife of the 49-year-old deceased judged lodged a complaint with the Dhanbad Police. “We are probing the case from all angles, including murder,” Kumar asserted.

A special investigation team (SIT), led by Dhanbad SP R. Ramkumar, has been constituted to investigate the case.

A five-member forensic team visited the site of the incident on Thursday to collect samples necessary for the investigation.

Meanwhile, the Dhanbad Bar Association here claimed that Anand, who hailed from Hazaribag, was murdered and demanded a thorough probe into the incident.

All lawyers of the Dhanbad Bar Association will take out a silent procession on Friday in protest against the murder of the judge and demand protection for lawyers from the government, said its president Amarendra Sahay.

Condemning the incident, the Jharkhand Bar Council member Hemant Sikarwa demanded a CBI probe into the case.

Earlier in the day, the Jharkhand high court ordered an SIT probe into the death of Anand, under the leadership of the additional director general of police Sanjay Latkar.

Taking cognizance of a letter filed before the court by the Dhanbad principal district judge in the case, Chief Justice Ravi Ranjan converted it into a writ petition and ordered the formation of the SIT.

He said the Chief Justice of India (CJI) N.V. Ramana has spoken to him regarding the matter and expressed confidence that a fair investigation will be carried out in the case.

The high court stated it will monitor the probe and sought updates from the SIT from time to time.

If at any point in time it appears to the court that the investigation is not heading in the right direction, then the case will be handed over to the CBI, the chief justice added.

Supreme Court takes suo motu cognizance

On Friday, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of the judge’s killing. According to LiveLaw, a bench headed by CJI Ramana directed the chief secretary and director general of police, Jharkhand, to submit a report on the status of the inquiry into judge Anand’s death within a week.

The suo moto case is titled “In Re Safeguarding Courts and Protecting Judges (Death of Additional Sessions Judge, Dhanbad).

The report said that the top court made it clear that it is aware the Jharkhand HC is “seized of the matter” and this suo motu cognisance will not interfere in the proceedings before that court.

According to LiveLaw, the bench said it is concerned with the “larger issue” of the nature of the incident and the steps taken by the state governments to protect judicial officers inside and outside the court premises.

The bench observed similar incidents are happening across the country and the issue “requires a larger consideration for a detailed examination” of the protection of judicial officers and the interests of the legal fraternity.

(With PTI inputs)

Dhanbad: Judge Killed in Hit and Run Incident, SIT to Investigate Death

The issue was brought up in the Supreme Court on Thursday morning by senior advocate Vikas Singh, who is president of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

New Delhi: A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to probe the death of additional sessions and district judge Uttam Anand in Dhanbad, after CCTV footage showed that an auto swerved sharply and hit him while he was on his morning jog.

According to Hindustan Times, the hit-and-run incident took place a little after 5 am on Wednesday. Though bystanders rushed Judge Anand to a medical college, doctors declared him dead on arrival. The body was not identified for a while, according to reports.

Meanwhile, the judge’s family notified the police when he did not return home by 7 am. The judge’s driver accompanied the police team to the hospital, after they were informed of a road accident, and identified the body at.

The Supreme Court has taken note of the judge’s death.

“I have constituted an SIT led by the city SP who will look into all possible reasons. The CCTV footage and all related aspects would be analysed and identify the vehicle. We have respected the victim’s family members to file a complaint and we will register an FIR,” said Dhanbad senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sanjeev Kumar, according to Hindustan Times.

According to The Telegraph, the judge had recently rejected the bail petitions of two members of a gang based in Uttar Pradesh, who are accused in a high-profile murder case. However, the police said it is too soon to establish any connections between the bail hearing and the ostensible ‘accident’.

Prabhat Sinha, a lawyer at the Jharkhand high court told the Indian Express that the ‘accident’ is a clear case of murder. “The CCTV footage clearly shows that the auto driver intentionally hitting the judge,” he said.

The issue was brought up in the Supreme Court on Thursday morning by senior advocate Vikas Singh, who is president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, according to LiveLaw, who called it a ‘brazen attack on the judiciary’.

While the issue was first mentioned before a bench headed by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, it was later mentioned before the Chief Justice of India’s bench. CJI N.V. Ramana said that he had spoken to the Jharkhand high court’s chief justice, who will take up the case.

“Now he’s [Jharkhand HC chief justice] directed officers to be in court and matter is going on there. Leave it there. If it’s necessary then we will involve, but if we involve at this stage unnecessarily,” CJI Ramana said, according to LiveLaw.

Singh claimed that the footage showing the judge being hit was not from a CCTV camera, but that it was shot by a videocamera.

After the matter was mentioned before the CJI, Singh appeared before the Justice Chandrachud-led bench to argue another case that was listed for hearing.

Justice M.R. Shah, who was part of the bench headed by Justice Chandrachud, asked Singh why video of the incident was shot, as it could be used as evidence.

Singh said persons involved in this wanted to terrorise people by shooting the video.

“This is tyranny. This was brazen and they wanted to terrorise people. The video is not shot from any CCTV cameras but from a video camera as people can be heard talking and it was even zoomed in several times,” he said.

When Justice Shah said what could be the reason behind the incident, Singh said the judicial officer had passed unpleasant bail order against some gangster.

“Anyway, I have mentioned this before the CJI, who said that he has talked to the chief justice of the Jharkhand high court. The chief justice of the high court is taking up the matter on the judicial side,” Singh said.

(With PTI inputs)