The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday submitted its first investigation status report to the Jharkhand High Court in connection with the death of a Dhanbad judge in a “road accident” in the coal city last month.
Both the Supreme Court and the HC had taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and the apex court had directed the CBI to file status report every week with the high court.
The investigation officer in the case also appeared before the division bench of chief justice Dr Ravi Ranjan and justice Sujit Narayan Prasad that directed the agency to conduct probe in a professional manner and file a detailed report next week.
During the hearing, the court also sought details from the state government about security measures at Dhanbad court and the judges.
“I can’t comment on the content of the status report. We submitted the first status report today as per the Supreme Court direction. The next progress report in sealed cover would be submitted for the next hearing on August 20,” said CBI counsel Rajiv Sinha.
A news agency, however, quoted Jharkhand’s advocate general Rajiv Ranjan as saying that the HC was not satisfied with the status report.
{{/usCountry}}A news agency, however, quoted Jharkhand’s advocate general Rajiv Ranjan as saying that the HC was not satisfied with the status report.
{{/usCountry}}People involved in the proceedings said the bench sought to know from the investigation officer about forensic report of the crime scene and the auto rickshaw that mowed down additional district judge Uttam Anand, besides questioning of people seen in the CCTV footage that emerged after the accident.
The CBI informed the court it had taken custody of the auto rickshaw involved in the accident to recreate the crime scene and that the forensic report of the samples lifted for test was still awaited. It also said they had questioned one of two bike riders on CCTV passing on the same road at the time of the accident.
Anand was brought dead to the hospital on July 28, about an hour after he was hit by the three-wheeler from behind near Randhir Verma square in Dhanbad when he was out for a morning walk.
Footage from a CCTV installed near the accident site however raised suspicion about the motive of incident as the involved three-wheeler is seen swerving towards extreme left from the middle of the road and hitting the judge from behind before fleeing the spot.
The CBI took over the investigation from the state police after the Jharkhand government recommended to the Centre to hand over investigation to the central agency.