SC issues notice to CBI over Dhanbad judge's death case

The death of the Jharkhand judge Uttam Anand, who was hearing some high-profile cases, took a new turn after chilling CCTV footage showed a three-wheeler hitting the judge on a road.

A bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana said that judges are many times mentally harassed and threatened in cases involving gangsters or high profile people but complaints to the CBI or police never yield any results.

"The IB (Intelligence Bureau) and CBI aren't helping the judiciary at all. When judges complain, they don't respond," the top court remarked.

The bench also comprising Justice Surya Kant asked Attorney General KK Venugopal to assist the apex court on Monday when the matter will be heard next.

The apex court also asked the states to file status reports on the security they are providing to the judicial officers.

Last month, the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) had sought a probe into the death of the judge, who was fatally knocked by a vehicle while out on a morning walk.

Advocate Vikas Singh, the president of SCBA, had said it is a “brazen attack” on the independence of the judiciary.

Singh, while saying that video of the incident was also shot, told the bench that if somebody is killed for not granting bail to a gangster, then there will be “no judiciary in the country”.

The CBI registered the case under IPC Section 302 (murder) after the Jharkhand government recommended a probe by the investigating agency.