The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday took suo motu cognizance of the death of a judge who was hit by a vehicle the previous day, reported Bar and Bench. The police in Jharkhand have formed a special investigation team to look into the death of Dhanbad Additional Sessions Judge Uttam Kumar.
The team was formed after CCTV footage showed a three-wheeler suddenly swerving towards Kumar, who was walking on an empty road, and hitting him. The vehicle then drove away. However, CCTV footage has now raised doubts about whether he was killed. As the matter was raised in the Supreme Court today, 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. The driver of the tempo has been arrested along with an associate. Also, the tempo has been seized. Police said that investigations have revealed the vehicle was stolen just a few hours before the incident. ADJ Uttam was posted in Dhanbad six months ago. He had gone for a morning walk at 5 am on a deserted stretch of road when a vehicle crushed him near the Magistrate Colony in Dhanbad. He was found lying on the road, bleeding, by a man who took him to hospital. He was admitted to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Initially, the police treated him as an unknown person. However, later on, the family members approached the police following which the body was identified.
