NewDelhi: The death of an Additional District Judge (ADJ) of Dhanbad district in a road accident has raised alarms over the safety of judiciary officials as the Jharkhand High Court on Thursday has taken a suo motu cognisance of the matter. A special investigation team has also been formed after the CCTV footage of the accident went viral on the internet. The chilling footage has pointed towards the murder of the ADJ Uttam Anand which was earlier believed to be a case of hit and run.
The incident was also raised in the top court today. Chief Justice of India NV Ramana also said that he had spoken to the Jharkhand High Court and will not interfere at this point of the stage. “The High Court Chief Justice has taken up the issue and the case is now on at the High Court. We are aware of the case and we will take care,” Justice Ramana said.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Mayur Patel, as quoted by news agency ANI, said, “An investigation is being done regarding today’s incident. Different teams have been constituted to investigate the matter. Whatever points have come to the fore will be taken into consideration while investigating the case.”
Dhanbad ADJ Uttam Anand was out for his morning walk on Wednesday when a three-wheeler hit him from behind near the Magistrate Colony in the district. The CCTV footage showed a three-wheeler taking a turn and went straight towards the ADJ, who collapsed on the ground following the collision. He was later taken to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Initially, the police treated him as an unknown person. Later, the family members approached the police when Uttam Anand didn’t return till 7 am. The police finally tracked him down to the hospital and established him as the man who had died in the accident. No one has been arrested in connection with the case so far.
According to the police, the CCTV footage of the incident makes it clear that the three-wheeler deliberately hit him from behind and drove away. As per the preliminary investigations, the vehicle was stolen hours before the incident took place.
Now the Dhanbad police are investigating the previous cases of ADJ Uttam Anand, who was posted in the district six months ago. As per the police, Anand had been handling several cases of mafia killings in the town and had recently denied bail to two gangsters.
The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Thursday asked the top court to take suo motu notice of the killing, adding that CCTV footage of the area should be taken on record. “It’s an attack on the independence of the judiciary and looks like a premeditated attack on the judge,” it added.
Bureau Report
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