On Thursday, a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) courtroom in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad convicted both defendants in the assassination of Judge Uttam Anand. The accused, Rahul Kumar Verma and Lakhan Kumar Verma, were both found guilty under sections 302, 201, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code by Additional Sessions Judge Rajni Kant Pathak.
Judge Uttam Anand was on a morning jog when he was mowed down by an autorickshaw on July 28 last year, an incident that sparked security concerns in the entire judiciary. Given the sensitivity of the case, the Jharkhand government promptly requested the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the probe.
Dhanbad Additional Session Judge #UttamAnand death case | Special #CBI court Dhanbad convicts both accused #RahulKumarVerma and #LakhanKumarVerma under sections 302, 201 and 34 IPC. Hearing on quantum of sentence will be on August 6th.
— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) July 28, 2022
The prosecution claimed that the crime’s motivation was to steal the victim’s cellphone and that it was deliberate conduct that justified a conviction under IPC Section 302. The defense meanwhile argued that it was not a deliberate hit and therefore the accusation of culpable homicide did not amount to murder.
The authorities had suspected the tragedy was a deliberate hit-and-run. The attack on Judge Anand was however considered an ‘attack on judicial independence, and Chief Justice of India N V Ramana stated that he had discussed the subject with the Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court.
The inquiry was thereafter turned over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which re-registered the case and submitted the charge sheet in October last year. On February 2, this year, the sessions court issued charges and, after 35 hearings, concluded the trial.
According to the reports, the two accused, now convicted were auto driver Lakhan Verma, 22, and his accomplice Rahul Verma, 21. The verdict came one year to the day after Judge Anand was murdered in Dhanbad. However, the court will pronounce the quantum of the sentence on August 6.
