SC seeks report from J'khand Chief Secy, DGP

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Friday took suo motu cognizance of the sad demise of a judge in a gruesome incident of being allegedly mowed down by a vehicle while on morning jog on July 28 at Dhanbad and sought a status report within a week from Jharkhand's Chief Secretary and the DGP on the probe into the incident.

While making it clear that the proceedings before the Jharkhand High Court to monitor the probe into the death of the judicial officer would continue, a bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana said it was taking suo motu cognizance of the matter as incidents of attacks on judicial officers and the legal fraternity are happening across the country and the issue requires detailed examination.

We direct the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) of Jharkhand to submit a report in a week's time on the status of investigation on the sad demise of additional district and sessions Judge Uttam Anand, said the bench which also comprised justice Surya Kant.

The bench said it was concerned with the larger issues such as the nature of the incident and the steps taken by the state governments for protection of judicial officers inside and outside the court premises.

The bench sought the presence of Jharkhand Advocate General when it hears the case next week and said that it would then consider the issue of issuing notices to other states.

The case, which will be now taken up for hearing next week, has been titled as "In Re Safeguarding Courts and Protecting Judges (Death of Additional Sessions Judge, Dhanbad)".

CCTV footages showed that District and Sessions Judge-8 of Dhanbad court, Uttam Anand , was jogging on one side of a fairly wide road at Randhir Verma Chowk early on Wednesday when a heavy auto-rickshaw veered towards him, hit him from behind and fled the scene.

Locals took him to a nearby hospital, where the doctors declared him dead on arrival.