A Special Investigation Team has been formed to probe the death of a judge in Jharkhand after chilling security footage pointed to murder instead of what was initially believed to be a hit-and-run case.
Additional sessions and district judge Uttam Anand was out for his daily morning jog when a three-wheeler hit him. The SIT was set up after CCTV footage emerged in which the three-wheeler was seen suddenly swerving to the extreme left of the road and hitting the judge before fleeing the spot.
Judge Anand was rushed to the city’s medical college by passers-by but doctors said he was dead by the time he was brought.
His family reported him missing when he did not return at 7 am. The police finally tracked him down to the hospital and established him as the man who had died in a road accident.
The police say the CCTV footage makes it clear the tempo hit him deliberately. Investigations have revealed the vehicle was stolen just a few hours before the judge was hit. In the latest development, the autorickshaw driver along with his two associates has been arrested by the police.
The police are focusing on Judge Anand’s cases. He had been handling many cases of mafia killings in Dhanbad town and had recently rejected the bail requests of 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.
Chief Justice NV Ramana said he had spoken with the Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court. “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.
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