Dhanbad judge death case: SC directs CBI to file status report in Jharkhand HC every week

New Delhi [India], August 9 : The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file its status report every week before the Jharkhand High Court on its ongoing probe into the alleged murder of Dhanbad Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Uttam Anand and the Chief Justice of Jharkhand HC will monitor the case.
"Keeping in view the gravity of the case, we direct the probe agency, CBI, to file a status report in the Jharkhand High Court every week, and the Chief Justice of Jharkhand HC will monitor the case," a bench of the Apex Court, headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Nuthalapati Venkata Ramana said.
The CJI Ramana, leading the bench of the Supreme Court, along with Justice Surya Kant, said, this Court will also keep the matter pending before it and take it up as and when needed.
Meanwhile, today, before the hearing, the CBI filed its status report in a sealed cover narrating the sequence of events in the ASJ Uttam Anand death case, before the Supreme Court, after complying with its earlier order.
The Apex Court, however, after going through the CBI's Status report, was unsatisfied and observed that the status report in the sealed cover revealed nothing except investigators moving from place to place.
"Nothing in the sealed cover. We want something concrete. Arrest and seizing of vehicles are done by the state, you (CBI) have not indicated anything about the intention, motive anything," the Apex Court said.
The Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, submitted to the Top Court that the two drivers, who were in the auto-rickshaw involved in the alleged incident, are under interrogation and at present nothing more can be revealed.
The CJI, during the course of the hearing, wanted to know from the Advocate General (AG) of the Jharkhand government, Rajiv Ranjan, as to when the matter is listed before the Jharkhand High Court, to which he replied, it is listed on August 12.
The Supreme Court was hearing the alleged death of Dhanbad ASJ, Uttam Anand, who was allegedly mowed down by an auto-rickshaw while on a morning walk on July 28.
The Supreme Court had on July 30 took Suo Motu Cognisance (SMC) of the alleged brutal killing of Uttam Anand, the ASJ, from Dhanbad, Jharkhand, after noting that this Court wants to address the main issue involving the safety and security of judicial officers across the country.
The Supreme Court also took note of the fact in its also hearing that there is little being done so far to ensure the safety and security of judges of lower courts and High Courts, as they are allegedly being attacked with when they did not give any favourable order in favour of the accused persons.
The CCTV footage showed that the ASJ Uttam Anand was allegedly being mowed down by an autorickshaw in the Dhanbad area in Jharkhand, while he was on a morning walk on July 28, according to police.
The Apex Court had asked the states to file their detailed responses by August 17 on the larger issue of safety and security to the judges -- lower courts and High Court -- and creating a special force for court security and Judges.