Dhanbad Judge's Death: Jharkhand High Court Asks CBI to Probe Injury Angle

The Jharkhand High Court has ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct an investigation into the injury suffered by former Dhanbad judge Uttam Anand. 

While hearing the petition on Thursday (August 19, 2021), a division bench of Chief Justice Dr Ravi Ranjan and Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad observed that the deceased judge had an injury on the right side of his head on the temple, which was corroborated by the post mortem report.

The judge's injuries could not have been caused by the auto rickshaw that hit him. Instead, the bench observed that the judge's co-passenger in the auto rickshaw may have used something to hit him, causing him to fall on his left side on the road.

The judges said while watching the proceedings online that Anand's head injury could not have been caused by the auto rickshaw's rear view mirror. They also ordered the home secretary and the head of the Forensic Sciences Laboratory to testify in the case. The court also bemoaned the FSL's lack of resources.

While reviewing the CBI's investigation report, the court stated that the agency should conduct an investigation into the point of injury. The case has been rescheduled for August 27, 2021.The Supreme Court is also keeping an eye on the case's investigation.

Uttam Anand's death was caught on camera, and the CCTV footage of him walking near the Randhir Verma Chowk, a posh area in Dhanbad, went viral on July 28, 2021 at 5 a.m.

The judge was struck by an autorickshaw with a passenger in the front seat, as well as the driver. A motorcyclist is also seen following the autorickshaw that saw the injured judge fall to the ground.