RANCHI: Expressing disappointment over the progress report in the alleged murder of Additional District and Session Judge Uttam Anand, the Jharkhand High Court has directed CBI Zonal Director to be present during the next hearing on September 23.
Reacting to the progress report submitted by CBI on Thursday, the division bench of Chief Justice Dr Ravi Ranjan and Justice SN Prasad said that the investigation agency has been filing the stereotype reports, which has nothing new in it.
Notably, CCTV footage showing an auto-rickshaw intentionally hitting the Judge from behind on a deserted road has raised doubts over his death while he was on his morning walk schedule on July 28. The incident took place near Golf Ground less than 500 meters from his house at Judge Colony of Hirapur, when he was out for his daily morning walk during which, an unidentified auto-rickshaw hit him. Hours after the CCTV footage surfaced indicating that the incident was ‘intentional’ rather than an ‘accident’, the Jharkhand High Court took suo-moto cognizance into the matter calling the incident a direct attack on the judiciary.
“The division bench expressed disappointment over the progress report saying that the investigation has not reached beyond the arresting of two persons in the case, which is really unfortunate,” said Jharkhand High Court Advocate Association Treasurer, Dheeraj Kumar. The Court has directed CBI Director to be present virtually during the hearing on September 23, he added. “The Court also observed that the status report is not satisfactory as stereotype reports are being filed every week,” Kumar said.
According to the Court, circumstances suggest that a judicial officer has been killed in broad daylight and therefore they want results as only reports cannot satisfy them. The mystery, why auto-driver killed the Judicial Officer has not been solved by the CBI so far, it said. The Court also observed that this is the first such incident where an auto-rickshaw has been used for killing so that the investigating agencies could be misguided easily. CCTV footage clearly suggests that the judge was deliberately hit by the auto driver, it added.
The Court, however, said that they have full confidence over the investigation of CBI but, at the same time, it is also a fact that no concrete information has been brought forward by them – what exactly was the motive behind the killing and who was behind the entire conspiracy? Jharkhand HC has been reviewing the investigation every week on the directions of the Supreme Court, but no concrete information has been provided by the investigating agency so far, it said