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Dhanbad judge murder: CBI court convicts both accused, sentencing on Aug 6
The judge was on a morning walk on the road outside his official residence in the coal city when the incident occurred.
A special CBI court in Dhanbad Thursday convicted for murder the two accused arrested earlier in connection with the death of additional sessions judge Uttam Anand, exactly a year after he was mowed down in Dhanbad by the three-wheeler occupied by the duo on July 28, 2021.
The judge was on a morning walk on the road outside his official residence in the coal city when the incident occurred. The two accused, auto-rickshaw driver Lakhan Verma (22) and his accomplice Rahul Verma (21), were arrested two days later.
“”The special CBI court judge Rajnikant Pathak held the two accused guilty under sections 302 (murder), 201 (destruction of evidence) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The court has fixed August 6 as date to decide on quantum of punishment,” CBI special prosecutor Amit Jindal told reporters.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had produced 58 witnesses, including experts, to substantiate the case, Jindal said.
Defence counsel Kumar Bimlendu said they would plead for minimum punishment for the convicts. “While we would get the detailed order in the next few days, going by the operative part of the verdict that the judge read out, it seems the court has relied on the video footage and on the account of an eye witness who was riding a bike just behind the auto-rickshaw,” said Bimlemdu.
The incident had set off security concerns in the entire judiciary after a CCTV footage emerged showing the three-wheeler swerving on an empty road to knock the judge down.
The vehicle, which was stolen from Dhanbad, was recovered from neighbouring Giridih district the same night. The two accused were arrested two days after the crime.
Both the Supreme Court and Jharkhand high court had taken cognisance of the incident, and the HC monitored the investigations closely till the charge-sheet was filed by the CBI, which had taken over the case on July 31 on the recommendation of the state government.
On October 20, 2021, the central agency filed the charge-sheet against the duo. The sessions court framed charges on February 2 this year and completed the trial on July 26.
The prosecution had argued that the motive of the crime was to snatch the victim’s mobile phone, and that it was a premeditated act that warranted a conviction under IPC Section 302. The defence counsel had pleaded it was not an intentional hit and that the only charge that the accused could attract was section 304 ( culpable homicide not amounting to murder).
The autopsy report had said death had occurred due to injuries caused by hard and blunt substance on the head.
In the course of investigation, the CBI had recreated the crime scene, announced a cash reward up to ₹10 lakh for leads, besides getting brain mapping of the two accused done twice, which was criticised by the HC.
In its charge-sheet, CBI said the incident seemed to be “planned and intentional”, and that it “does not appear to be an accident”. It said the auto-rickshaw had closely followed Uttam Anand. At the trial stage, it was also argued, based on video footage, that the driver saved a cyclist ahead, which showed he driver was in control of the vehicle.
