CBI starts questioning 2 accused in ADJ Uttam Anand death case

Three days after taking over the probe into the death of ADJ Uttam Anand in Dhanbad, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is questioning the two accused in connection with the case, who were sent to 5 days agency's custody. A court in Dhanbad remanded Lakhan Verma and Rahul Verma to five days CBI custody on Friday.

A CBI source connected to the probe said, "We are questioning the two accused arrested from Jharkhand's Giridih." He said that the agency has got the case files, their mobile call records and their mobile location history from the Jharkhand Police's SIT that was probing the case earlier. The source added that the agency is examining the details of the location history and their call records at the time of the death of Uttam Anand. The source said that the agency is also analysing the call records of the two accused to check with whom they were in touch.

The CBI had taken over the probe on August 4 on the recommendation of the Jharkhand government and further notification from the central government. A 20 member SIT team has been sent to Jharkhand to probe the case.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Uttam Anand was killed on July 28 after an auto-rickshaw hit him while he was on a morning walk, and a case was registered by the police on a complaint from his wife against an unknown auto driver. After CCTV footage surfaced, the Jharkhand government had formed an SIT to probe the matter. But later, it recommended that the CBI probe the death. The source said that the agency sleuths have also verified the auto-rickshaw which had hit the ADJ during his morning walk.

On Tuesday, the Jharkhand High Court directed the CBI to start the probe into the death of the judge at the earliest, so that no evidence is destroyed, and directed the state government to provide all logistics support and documents to it. The court also directed the Jharkhand DGP to ensure security to the judicial officers in the state. It also wanted to know, if the incident took place at 5.08 a.m., why the FIR was lodged at 12.45 p.m.

The source said that the agency sleuths are planning to record the statement of Uttam Anand's wife in connection with his death.

CBI's Superintendent of Police Jagroop S Gusinha from the special unit in New Delhi is also camping in Jharkhand to probe the case.-IANS