CBI now zeros in on accused of cases heard by Dhanbad Judge Uttam Anand 

SUBHASH MISHRA

Dhanbad, Oct 6: Having failed to solve the accident death mystery of Dhanbad District and Session Judge-8 Uttam Anand even after taking the accused on remand three times, the CBI is now zeroing in on interrogation of people under trial in other cases which were being heard by the deceased judge.

The CBI team has in this regard filed an application in Special Court of Judge Abhishek Srivastava for remand of Nand Kumar Singh, an accused of Ranjay Kumar Singh murder case. At present Nand Kumar Singh alias Mama is lodged in Hotwar jail Ranchi.  ADJ-8 Uttam Anand had been hearing the case before the accident.

A senior police officer of the district, on Wednesday, said that the CBI team is investigating whether the accused of Ranjay Singh murder episode has any link with the conspiracy of District Session Judge accident death as he (judge) was hearing that case.

Besides Nand Kumar Singh, the CBI team has also called Harsh Singh, cousin of former Deputy Mayor late Neeraj Singh (husband of present Jharia Congress MLA Purnima Singh) for interrogation.

Neeraj Singh was gunned down after the murder of Ranjay Kumar Singh, who was considered a supporter of the then Jharia BJP MLA Sanjiv Singh.

The official said that the CBI team had gone to Dhaiyya area-based residence of Harsh Singh with a notice but he was not present there. Harsh Singh is under the accusation of being one of the conspirators of Ranjay murder case. Presently he is out on bail.

ADJ-8 Uttam Anand was killed in a road accident on July 28 when an auto hit him from behind at Randhir Verma Chowk near the district court. He was on a morning walk when the incident occurred.

Meanwhile, the third remand period of both the accused, auto driver Lakhan Verma and his accomplice Rahul Verma completes on Wednesday. The CBI had taken them on a seven-day remand on September 29. Police officials assisting the CBI in the investigation said that frequent changes of statements by both the accused have complicated the probe progress of the central investigation agency.