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‘Probe still where it started’: Jharkhand HC upset at CBI in judge’s death case
CBI told the Jharkhand high court in September that judge Uttam Anand’s death in July was not an accident and it was investigating all angles to unravel the conspiracy. .
RANCHI: The Jharkhand High Court on Friday observed that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has not conducted the investigation professionally and has levelled charges without any evidence to back it up in the charge sheet filed in connection with the alleged murder of Dhanbad additional district judge Uttam Anand.
“The court observed that from the charge sheet, it was clear that CBI still remains where it started from. There has not been much of a difference between the investigation of the state police and CBI. They have filed the charge sheet without any clarity on the motive behind the murder, which will be considered a failure for a professional agency like CBI,” a lawyer who was present at Friday’s hearing, said.
CBI, however, assured the court they are pursuing the investigation and they need some time to come up with concrete evidence to back their case. The court has fixed November 12 as the next date of hearing in the case.
This is not the first time that the high court has conveyed its displeasure. Last week, the bench reprimanded CBI over its probe, pointing that the agency “did not inform the high court before filing the charge sheet despite the bench comprising the chief justice monitoring the process”. The bench also frowned at the status reports filed by CBI, saying the agency was filing a stereotyped report every week.
Judge Uttam Anand was run over by an autorickshaw on July 28, an incident that sparked off security concerns in the entire judiciary. The vehicle, which was stolen from Dhanbad, was recovered from the neighbouring Giridih district that night. Two persons — auto driver Lakhan Verma, 22, and his accomplice Rahul Verma, 21 — were arrested two days later.
Last week, the central agency filed the charge sheet against the duo under sections 302 (murder), 201 (destruction of evidence) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. During the hearing on Friday last, CBI said they filed the charge sheet after consultation with officials in the headquarters, and efforts are underway to establish the motive and the conspiracy behind the alleged killing.
The Supreme Court and the Jharkhand high court took suo motu cognisance of the hit-and-run incident after CCTV footage showed the three-wheeler swerving on an empty road to knock him down.
The CBI took over the probe on July 31 after the top 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.
In September, the central agency informed the high court that the judge’s death was not an accident and it was investigating all angles to unravel the conspiracy.
Several people have been interrogated in the last three months and lie detector and psychoanalysis tests were also conducted on them, officials said.
On the recruitment front, the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission submitted during the hearing on Friday that notification for recruitment in FSL has been cancelled as the rule regarding recruitment in the FSL has to be changed.
“On the next date of hearing, the state government has to reply explaining the facts about change in rule and cancellation of notification,” the lawyer quoted above said.
