The Jharkhand High Court on Friday rejected the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) theory that mobile theft could be a possible motive behind the alleged murder of Dhanbad additional judge Uttam Anand in July last year and directed the agency to submit the findings report of all technical investigation done by it to date in the case.
Taking up the weekly investigation progress report in the case in a virtual hearing, the bench of chief justice Dr Ravi Ranjan and justice Sujeet Narayan Prasad dismissed the CBI theory that the two accused have confessed they were trying to snatch the mobile phone of the judge at the time of the fatal accident.
The judge was mowed down by an auto-rickshaw while he was on a morning walk in Dhanbad on July 28, 2021. A CCTV footage of the incident showed the vehicle swerving towards the judge on an otherwise empty road and hitting him from behind.
The vehicle, which was stolen from Dhanbad, was recovered from neighbouring Giridih district the same night. Two persons, auto driver Lakhan Verma, 22, and his associate Rahul Verma, 21, were arrested two days later.
In its first charge sheet, CBI had claimed that the two were the only two occupants of the auto rickshaw that hit the judge, but is yet to establish the motive.
{{/usCountry}}In its first charge sheet, CBI had claimed that the two were the only two occupants of the auto rickshaw that hit the judge, but is yet to establish the motive.
{{/usCountry}}“The court said could it be possible that the accused were trying to derail the murder investigation by making such claims,” a lawyer who attended the virtual hearing said.
The court also asked for the reason behind CBI’s technical investigation like narco test and brain mapping twice. The probe agency told the court that it was done to establish different set of information they came across during the ongoing investigation.
Fixing January 21 as the next date of bearing in the case, the court directed the CBI to submit all test reports by then.
The Supreme Court and the Jharkhand high court had taken the suo motu cognisance of the hit-and-run incident.
The CBI took over the probe on July 31 after the apex court said the incident had larger ramifications for the independence of the judiciary. The state government had also recommended an investigation by the central agency into the case.
The central agency later filed the charge sheet against the duo under sections 302 (murder), 201 (destruction of evidence) and 34 (common intention) of Indian Penal Code.