The Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday reserved its order in a criminal appeal filed by Rahul Verma and Lakhan Verma, who were convicted for the murder of special CBI judge Uttam Anand in Dhanbad in July 2021. The division bench, led by Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay, heard the arguments and screened the CCTV footage of the incident before reserving the judgement.
Details of the Murder
Special judge Uttam Anand was fatally hit by an autorickshaw near Randhir Verma Chowk in Dhanbad on July 28, 2021, around 5 am while he was out for his morning walk. The incident was captured on CCTV cameras installed in the neighborhood. The autorickshaw, carrying a person beside the driver, struck the judge, and a motorcyclist behind the autorickshaw witnessed the judge falling to the ground. Anand lay bleeding on the road for four hours before being taken to Patliputra Medical College and Hospital in Dhanbad.
High Court's Intervention
The high court took suo motu cognizance of the case on July 29, 2021, and began monitoring the investigation regularly. It observed that the murder of a senior judicial officer was a direct attack on the justice dispensation system. During the proceedings, the court noted that even in volatile states of the northeast, where insurgency was rampant, judicial officers and advocates were never harmed, but Jharkhand had seen two such cases: the murder of advocate Manoj Jha in Ranchi on July 26, 2021, and the killing of judge Uttam Anand.
Transfer to CBI and Conviction
The high court transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 3, 2021. The CBI filed a chargesheet on October 20, 2021. Special judge Rajinikant Pathak of the special CBI court in Dhanbad convicted Rahul and Lakhan Verma on July 28, 2022, sentencing them to life imprisonment and imposing a fine of Rs 25,000 each.
Appeal and Court Proceedings
The convicts challenged the sentence before the high court. On Wednesday, the division bench ordered the screening of the CCTV footage showing the incident. The video was played in detail during the proceedings, which lasted over four hours. After hearing the arguments, the court reserved its judgement.
The case highlights the vulnerability of judicial officers and the need for enhanced security measures. The high court's proactive monitoring ensured a thorough investigation and swift justice in this high-profile case.
