The Jharkhand High Court has reserved its verdict in the appeal filed by the convicts in the Judge Uttam Anand murder case, a high-profile case that shook the Indian judiciary.
Key Points
- Jharkhand High Court reserves order in the appeal of Rahul and Lakhan Verma, convicted in the murder of Judge Uttam Anand.
- Judge Uttam Anand was killed in Dhanbad on July 28, 2021, after being hit by an autorickshaw during his morning walk.
- A special CBI court in Dhanbad sentenced Rahul and Lakhan Verma to life imprisonment for the murder.
- The High Court reviewed CCTV footage of the incident during the hearing.
- The High Court initiated a suo motu petition after the murder, calling it an attack on the justice system.
The Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday reserved its order in a criminal appeal filed by Rahul Verma and Lakhan Verma - convicted for the murder of Dhanbad Judge Uttam Anand.
Anand was killed on July 28, 2021, when he was out for his morning walk in Dhanbad. Both the convicts were driving an autorickshaw, which rammed into Anand, resulting in his death.
Convicts Challenge Sentence in Judge Anand Murder Case
Both Rahul and Lakhan were convicted for the murder of Uttam Anand by a special CBI court in Dhanbad. The special judge, Rajinikant Pathak, sentenced the convicts to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 each.
The convicts challenged the sentence imposed by the special judge before the high court, which was heard by a division bench headed by Justice Rongon Mukhopadhyay.
Key Evidence: CCTV Footage Review
In the course of the hearing on Wednesday, the court ordered the screening of the video of the footage showing the incident when Uttam Anand was hit by the autorickshaw.
The proceedings before the high court continued for more than four hours, after which the court reserved its judgment.
High Court's Suo Motu Action and Observations
Earlier soon after the death of Uttam Anand, the high court initiated a petition suo motu on July 29 and started monitoring the progress of the case.
The high court at that time had observed that the incident indicated that "it is an attack on the justice dispensation system."
The bench said that the murder of a senior judicial officer is a direct assault on the judiciary.
The murder of Uttam Anand was caught on camera, and the CCTV footage showed him walking near the Randhir Verma Chowk, a posh area in Dhanbad, on June 28, 2021, at 5 am.
The judge was hit by an autorickshaw with a passenger sitting in the front along with the driver.
A motorcyclist was also shown going behind the autorickshaw, who saw the injured judge fall on the ground.
The case was investigated by the CBI.
