The Jharkhand High Court, on Monday, concluded a suo motu petition concerning the investigation into the murder of Dhanbad judge Uttam Anand. The court was satisfied with the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) report, which stated that the investigation is complete, leading to the conviction of the two accused.
The division bench, led by Chief Justice M S Ramachandra Rao and Justice Deepak Roshan, was informed by the CBI that after thorough examination, no conspiracy was found related to the murder, and thus, no further investigation was deemed necessary. The two accused, Rahul Verma and Laxman Verma, have been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Judge Uttam Anand tragically lost his life in an incident on July 28, 2021, when he was struck by an auto-rickshaw while walking near Randhir Verma Chowk in Dhanbad early in the morning. The shocking event was captured on CCTV, showing the judge being hit intentionally by the auto-rickshaw, which had a passenger alongside the driver. Despite being seen by a motorcyclist who witnessed the aftermath, assistance was delayed, and the judge was later pronounced dead at the hospital due to his injuries.
The case drew significant attention due to the nature of the attack and the victim’s judicial position, prompting the High Court to initiate a suo motu petition. The FIR, filed over 12 hours after the incident, and subsequent CCTV footage led to a detailed investigation by the police and eventually the CBI.
After taking over the case in August 2021, the CBI’s investigation led to the apprehension of the accused, who were both found guilty and have now received life sentences. The High Court, upon reviewing the completed investigation, decided that all judicial inquiries into the matter could be formally closed.
